Government of Sweden
{{short description|Highest executive authority in Sweden}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{ Infobox executive government
| government_name = Government of the Kingdom of Sweden
| border = central
| image = File:Coat of arms of Sweden.svg
| image_size = 100px
| caption = Lesser coat of arms of Sweden
| date = 1 January 1975
| state = Kingdom of Sweden
| address = Rosenbad, Stockholm
| appointed = Prime Minister is elected by the Riksdag.
Other ministers ({{lang|sv|statsråd}}) are appointed by the Prime Minister.
| leader_title = Prime Minister ({{lang|sv|Statsminister}})
| main_organ = Cabinet
| ministries =
| responsible = Riksdag
| url = {{URL|https://www.government.se/}}
}}
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden ({{langx|sv|Konungariket Sveriges regering}}) is the national cabinet of Sweden, and the country's executive authority.
The Government consists of the Prime Minister and their cabinet ministers ({{langx|sv|statsråd}}).{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 6 Art. 1}} The Government is responsible for its actions to the Riksdag.
The Prime Minister is nominated by the Speaker of the Riksdag, and is elected and discharged by vote of the Riksdag.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 6 Arts. 4–7}} The cabinet ministers are appointed and dismissed at the discretion of the Prime Minister.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 6 Arts. 6, 8}} The Speaker shall discharge cabinet ministers that have lost a vote of confidence in the Riksdag.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 6 Art. 7}}
The short-form name {{lang|sv|Regeringen}} ("the Government") is used both in the Basic Laws of Sweden and in the vernacular,{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} while the long-form is only used in international treaties.{{cite web | url=https://www.regeringen.se/contentassets/1d419e819c4048e4bab75687b6d6cb3a/avtal-mellan-sverige-och-hongkong | title=Treaty between Sweden and Hong Kong | publisher=Riksdag | format=PDF | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017215001/http://www.regeringen.se/contentassets/1d419e819c4048e4bab75687b6d6cb3a/avtal-mellan-sverige-och-hongkong | archive-date=17 October 2017 | access-date=2018-05-28 }}{{Primary source inline|date=January 2025}}
Organization
The Government governs the country and is responsible for its actions to the Riksdag.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 1 Art. 6}} The Government consists of the Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers ({{langx|sv|statsråd}}),{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 6 Art. 1}} and operates as a collegial body with collective responsibility.
= The Prime Minister =
The Prime Minister is nominated by the Speaker of the Riksdag, following formal consultations with representatives of the partygroups of the Riksdag. Within four days, the Riksdag proceeds to a vote on the proposal. Unless more than half of the members of the Riksdag vote against the proposal, the nominee is approved and the Speaker proceeds to appoint their nominee as Prime Minister. Thus, the Prime Minister may be elected without a majority of the Riksdag voting for them.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 6, Arts. 4–6}}
The Prime Minister may appoint a designated Deputy among their ministers, to deputise for them in case of absence. Failing to do so, or in the case of the Deputy being unable to deputise at a given time, the Prime Minister's duties will be assumed by the minister currently in office that has served as minister for the longest period of time.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 6 Art. 10}}
= The Cabinet Ministers and Heads of Ministries =
The Prime Minister appoints their cabinet ministers, organizes the Government Office into ministries (Swedish: departement), and appoints heads of ministries among their cabinet ministers.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 6 Art. 6, Ch. 7, Art. 1}}
Cabinet ministers are dismissed at the discretion of the Prime Minister or, by law, at the request of the minister themself.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 6 Art. 8}} The Riksdag may vote to declare that a minister not longer enjoys the Riksdag's confidence. In such a case, the Speaker discharges said minister.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 6 Art. 7}}
= Role of the Head of State =
The constitutional head of state is the ruling Swedish Monarch.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 1 Art. 5}} Following the adoption of the 1974 Instrument of Government on 1 January 1975, the monarch is no longer vested with any executive powers at all with respect to the governance of the Realm, be it nominal or formal powers. They continue to serve as a strictly ceremonial head of state.{{cite web | url = http://www.government.se/sb/d/2853/nocache/true/a/21785/dictionary/true | title = The Head of State | publisher = Government of Sweden | access-date = 2014-02-22 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140225235411/http://www.government.se/sb/d/2853/nocache/true/a/21785/dictionary/true | archive-date = 2014-02-25 }}
The Prime Minister shall keep the Head of State informed regarding the country's affairs.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 5 Art. 3}}
The Head of State chairs the Council of State, which meets at the convening of the Government.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 5 Art. 3}} The change of hands of government takes effect at such a Council of State.{{Sfn|Instrument of Government|1974|loc=Ch. 6 Art. 6}}
History
File:Rosenbad 2006.jpg, in central Stockholm, has been the seat of the Government since 1981{{cite web | url = http://www.government.se/sb/d/4140/ | title = The Swedish Government Offices – a historical perspective | publisher = Government Offices of Sweden | access-date = 2014-10-24 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141024144929/http://www.government.se/sb/d/4140/ | archive-date = 2014-10-24 }}]]
The present Government is formed according to the laws set out in the 1974 Instrument of Government. But it traces its history back to the Middle Ages when the Privy Council of Sweden was formed in the 12th century. It functioned in this capacity until 1789 when King Gustav III had it abolished when the Riksdag passed the Union and Security Act. The old privy council had only had members from the aristocracy. Gustav III instead instituted {{lang|sv|Rikets allmänna ärendens beredning}}. It functioned as the Government until 1809 when a new Instrument of Government was introduced, thus creating the present government's predecessor, the Council of State. It acted as the Government of Sweden until 31 December 1974.
Role and scope
{{main|Politics of Sweden|Prime Minister of Sweden}}
The Government has a stronger constitutional position than the cabinets in the other Scandinavian monarchies. This is because under the Instrument of Government ({{langx|sv|regeringsformen}})—one of the Fundamental Laws of the Realm—the Government is both the de jure and de facto executive authority in Sweden. In Denmark and Norway, the monarch is at least the nominal chief executive, but is bound by convention to act on the advice of the cabinet. However, Chapter 1, Article 6 of the Instrument of Government explicitly states:{{cite web |title=The Instrument of Government (1974:152) up to and including changes in 2022 |url=https://www.riksdagen.se/globalassets/05.-sa-fungerar-riksdagen/demokrati/the-instrument-of-government-2023-eng.pdf |access-date=2025-01-16 |publisher=Sveriges Riksdag |language=en }}
{{Blockquote|The Government governs the Realm. It is accountable to the Riksdag}}
The Instrument of Government sets out the main responsibilities and duties of the Government (including the Prime Minister's and other cabinet ministers') and how it relates to other organs of the State.
{{Blockquote|The Chancellor of Justice and other State administrative authorities come under the Government, unless they are authorities under the Riksdag according to the present Instrument of Government or by virtue of other law.|Instrument of Government, Chapter 12, Article 1.}}
Most state administrative authorities ({{lang|sv|statliga förvaltningsmyndigheter}}), as opposed to local authorities ({{lang|sv|kommuner}}), sorts under the Government, including the Armed Forces, Coast Guard, Customs Service and the police.
While the judiciary technically sort under the Government in the fiscal sense, Chapter 11 of the Instrument of Government provides safeguards to ensure its independence.{{cite web | url = http://www.domstol.se/Funktioner/English/The-Swedish-courts/ | title = The Swedish courts | publisher = Domstolsverket | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120618020420/http://www.domstol.se/Funktioner/English/The-Swedish-courts/ | archive-date = 18 June 2012 | access-date = 2014-11-09 }}
In a unique feature of the Swedish constitutional system, individual cabinet ministers do not bear any individual ministerial responsibility for the performance of the agencies within their portfolio; as the director-generals and other heads of government agencies report directly to the Government as a whole, the ministers also cannot intervene in matters that are to be handled by the specific government agencies, unless otherwise provided for in law; thus the origin of the pejorative, in Swedish political parlance, ministerstyre (English: "ministerial rule").
=High Contracting Party=
File:Croatia-EU Accession Treaty Signature Page 7.png for Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Sweden is the only one of the four not with its head of state as high contracting party]]
The Government of Sweden is the high contracting party when entering treaties with foreign sovereign states and international organisations (such as the European Union), as per 10:1 of the Instrument of Government. In most other parliamentary systems (monarchies and republics alike) this formal function is usually vested in the head of state but exercised by ministers in such name.
=Promulgation=
Chapter 7, Article 7 prescribes that laws and ordinances are promulgated by the Government (by the Prime Minister or other cabinet minister), and are subsequently published in the Swedish Code of Statutes ({{langx|sv|Svensk författningssamling}}).{{cite web | url = http://www.notisum.se/rnp/sls/lag/19760633.htm| title = Lag (1976:633) om kungörande av lagar och andra författningar | publisher = Notisum | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017214805/http://www.notisum.se/rnp/sls/lag/19760633.htm | archive-date=17 October 2017 | language = sv | access-date = 2018-05-28 }}
Formation and dismissal
Following a general election, Speaker of the Riksdag begins to hold talks with the leaders of the parties with representation in the Riksdag, the Speaker then nominates a candidate for Prime Minister ({{lang|sv|statsminister}}). The nomination is then put to a vote in the chamber. Unless an absolute majority of the members (175 members) votes "no", the nomination is confirmed, otherwise it is rejected. The Speaker must then find a new nominee. This means the Riksdag can consent to a Prime Minister without casting any "yes" votes.
After being elected the Prime Minister appoints the cabinet ministers and announces them to the Riksdag. Prospective ministers do not have to be sitting members of the Riksdag, but if one accepts a nomination, they would surrender their seat to a substitute member. The new Government takes office at a special council held at the Royal Palace before the monarch, at which the Speaker of the Riksdag formally announces to the monarch that the Riksdag has elected a new Prime Minister and that the Prime Minister has chosen his cabinet ministers.
The Riksdag can cast a vote of no confidence against any single cabinet minister ({{langx|sv|statsråd}}), thus forcing a resignation. To succeed a vote of no confidence must be supported by an absolute majority (175 members) or it has failed.
If a vote of no confidence is cast against the Prime Minister this means the entire government is rejected. A losing government has one week to call for a general election or else the procedure of nominating a new Prime Minister starts anew.
Cabinets
{{Infobox
| title = Government of Sweden
| above =
| subheader = Sveriges regering
| image = 100px
| caption = Lesser coat of arms of Sweden
| headerstyle = background-color: #efefef
| label1 = Role
| data1 = Executive cabinet
| label2 = Established
| data2 = 1975
| label3 = Constitution instrument
| data3 = Instrument of Government
| label4 = Predecessor entities
| data4 = Privy Council
(12th century—1789)
Rikets allmänna ärendens beredning
(1789–1809)
Council of State
(1809—1974)
| header5 = Cabinet
| label6 = Members
| data6 = Kristersson Cabinet
| label7 = Prime Minister
| data7 = Ulf Kristersson
| label8 = Deputy to the Prime Minister
| data8 = Ebba Busch
| label9 = Number of members
| data9 = 24
| header10 = Administration
| label11 = Working
language
| data11 = Swedish
| label12 = Staff organization
| data12 = Government Offices
(the ministries are organised as entities within it)
| label13 = Location
| data13 = Stockholm, Stockholm County, Sweden
| label14 = Seat
| data14 = Rosenbad (since 1981)
}}
{{Politics of Sweden|government}}
=Present Cabinet=
{{main|Kristersson Cabinet}}
{{Cabinet table start|hiderefcol=y}}
{{Cabinet table ministry|Prime Minister's Office}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Prime Minister
|minister1=Ulf Kristersson
|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Deputy Prime Minister{{efn|Not a separate minister post}}
|minister1=Ebba Busch
|minister1_party=Christian Democrats (Sweden)
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table minister|title=Minister for EU Affairs
Minister for Nordic Cooperation
|minister1=Jessika Roswall
|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=10 September 2024
|minister2=Jessica Rosencrantz
|minister2_party=Moderate Party
|minister2_termstart=10 September 2024
|minister2_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table ministry
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Justice
|minister1=Gunnar Strömmer|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Migration
|minister1=Maria Malmer Stenergard
|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend= 10 September 2024
|minister2=Johan Forssell
|minister2_party=Moderate Party
|minister2_termstart=10 September 2024
|minister2_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table ministry
|Ministry of Foreign Affairs}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Foreign Affairs
|minister1=Tobias Billström
|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend= 10 September 2024
|minister2=Maria Malmer Stenergard
|minister2_party=Moderate Party
|minister2_termstart=10 September 2024
|minister2_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister of Foreign Trade and International Development Cooperation
|minister1=Johan Forssell
|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend= 10 September 2024
|minister2=Benjamin Dousa
|minister2_party=Moderate Party
|minister2_termstart=10 September 2024
|minister2_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table ministry
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Defence
|minister1=Pål Jonson|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Civil Defence
|minister1=Carl-Oskar Bohlin
|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table ministry|Ministry of Health and Social Affairs}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Social Affairs
|minister1=Jakob Forssmed|minister1_party=Christian Democrats (Sweden)
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Health|minister1=Acko Ankarberg Johansson
|minister1_party=Christian Democrats (Sweden)
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Social Services
|minister1=Camilla Waltersson Grönvall
|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022|minister1_termend=}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Social Security and Pensions
|minister1=Anna Tenje
|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=}}
{{Cabinet table ministry
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Finance
|minister1=Elisabeth Svantesson
|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Financial Markets
|minister1=Niklas Wykman
|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Public Administration
|minister1=Erik Slottner
|minister1_party=Christian Democrats (Sweden)
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table ministry
|Ministry of Education and Research}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Education
|minister1=Mats Persson
|minister1_party=Liberals (Sweden)
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend= 10 September 2024
|minister2=Johan Pehrson
|minister2_party=Liberals (Sweden)
|minister2_termstart=10 September 2024
|minister2_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Schools|minister1=Lotta Edholm
|minister1_party=Liberals (Sweden)
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table ministry
|Ministry of the Environment, Enterprise and Innovation}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Energy and Enterprise
|minister1=Ebba Busch
|minister1_party=Christian Democrats (Sweden)
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for the Environment
|minister1=Romina Pourmokhtari
|minister1_party=Liberals (Sweden)
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table ministry
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Culture
|minister1=Parisa Liljestrand
|minister1_party=Moderate Party
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table ministry
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Employment and for Integration
|minister1=Johan Pehrson
|minister1_party=Liberals (Sweden)
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend= 10 September 2024
|minister2=Mats Persson
|minister2_party=Liberals (Sweden)
|minister2_termstart=10 September 2024
|minister2_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|minister2=Nina Larsson|title=Minister for Gender Equality
|minister1=Paulina Brandberg
|minister1_party=Liberals (Sweden)
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=1 April 2025
|minister2_party=Liberals (Sweden)|minister2_termstart=1 April 2025}}{{Cabinet table ministry
|Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Rural Affairs
|minister1=Peter Kullgren|minister1_party=Christian Democrats (Sweden)
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
|title=Minister for Infrastructure and for Housing
|minister1=Andreas Carlson
|minister1_party=Christian Democrats (Sweden)
|minister1_termstart=18 October 2022
|minister1_termend=
}}
{{Cabinet table end}}
=Former cabinets=
Each appointment of a new Prime Minister is considered to result in a new cabinet, irrespective if the Prime Minister is reappointed or not. However, there is no automatic resignation following a defeat in a general election, so an election does not always result in a new cabinet.
{{Cabinets of Sweden}}
Government Offices
{{Main|Government Offices of Sweden}}
File:Kanslihuset 2010.jpg until 1981, and the housed its predecessor, the Royal Chancery, dating back to the days of the Royal Palace fire in 1697{{cite web|url=http://www.government.se/sb/d/4141/a/26829 |title=Premises of the Government Offices |publisher=Government Offices of Sweden |access-date=2014-10-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024145327/http://www.government.se/sb/d/4141/a/26829 |archive-date=2014-10-24 }}]]
File:Centralposthuset,_Stockholm,_seen_from_Klarabergsgatan.jpg, houses the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise.]]
Previously known as the Royal Chancery ({{langx|sv|Kunglig Majestäts kansli}}), the name was changed to the Government Offices ({{langx|sv|Regeringskansliet}}) on 1 January 1975 with the current Instrument of Government entering into effect.{{cite web|url=http://www.government.se/sb/d/4141 |title=History of the Government Offices |publisher=The Riksdag |access-date=2014-10-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024145444/http://www.government.se/sb/d/4141 |archive-date=2014-10-24 }}
The Instrument of Government briefly mentions in Chapter 7, Article 1 that there is a staff organization supporting the Government known as the Government Offices. The present organizational charter for the Government Offices is found in the ordinance named Förordning (1996:1515) med instruktion för Regeringskansliet. Since the issuance of that ordinance in 1996, all the ministries are technically entities within the Government Offices (headed by the Prime Minister), rather than as separate organisations even though they operate as such. Below follows a short summary of the current structure.{{cite web | url = http://www.notisum.se/rnp/sls/lag/19961515.htm | title = Förordning (1996:1515) med instruktion för Regeringskansliet | publisher = Swedish Code of Statutes | language = sv | access-date = 2014-01-27 | archive-date = 2 February 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140202103839/http://www.notisum.se/rnp/sls/lag/19961515.htm | url-status = dead }}
See also
- County administrative boards of Sweden
- Economy of Sweden
- Elections in Sweden
- Government agencies in Sweden
- History of Sweden
- List of prime ministers of Sweden
- List of Swedish ministries
- Municipalities of Sweden
- Politics of Sweden
- Principle of Public Access
- Referendums in Sweden
- Royal Court of Sweden
- State secretary (Sweden)
- List of government enterprises of Sweden
- Statens offentliga utredningar
- Swedish Code of Statutes
- Travaux préparatoires
References
{{Reflist}}
- {{cite web |title=The Instrument of Government (1974:152) up to and including changes in 2022 |url=https://www.riksdagen.se/globalassets/05.-sa-fungerar-riksdagen/demokrati/the-instrument-of-government-2023-eng.pdf |access-date=2025-01-16 |publisher=Sveriges Riksdag |language=en |ref={{sfnref|Instrument of Government|1974}} }}
Notes
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
;Bibliography
- {{Cite book | last1 = Larsson | first1 = Torbjörn | first2 = Henry | last2 = Bäck | title = Governing and Governance in Sweden | location = Lund | publisher = Studentlitteratur AB | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-91-44-03682-3 | ref = Larsson & Bäck }}
- {{Cite book | last = Petersson | first = Olof | title = Den offentliga makten | location = Stockholm | publisher = SNS Förlag | year = 2010 | language = sv | isbn = 978-91-86203-66-5 | ref = Petersson }}
External links
- [https://www.government.se/ Official site]
- [https://www.riksdagen.se/globalassets/05.-sa-fungerar-riksdagen/demokrati/the-instrument-of-government-2023-eng.pdf Instrument of Government 1974 (in English)]
{{Sweden topics}}
{{Europe topic|Cabinet of |title=National cabinets of Europe}}
{{Government of Europe}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweden}}