Swedish democracy in practice

The Swedish constitution states that ‘all public power in Sweden proceeds from the people’. This means that every four years we have free, universal and equal elections. We elect representatives to the parliament, the nation’s highest decision-making assembly, but also to regional and local governments. Voter turnout is normally 80–90 per cent.

After the general elections, the parliament votes on a prime minister, who then forms a government. The government has the exec- utive power, but it’s the parliament that makes and amends laws, determines the central government budget and scrutinises the government.

Swedish democracy includes the right to demonstrate. On Friday 15 March 2019 thousands of people gathered at the parliament in a demonstration for the climate initiated by the Fridays for Future movement.

HRH Crown Princess Victoria, first in line to the Swedish throne, will be our fourth female monarch.

Every five years we also vote in elections to the European Parliament, as Sweden has been a member of the EU since 1995. Our EU support has mostly been growing over the years, but we have stayed away from the euro and still pay with the Swedish krona (SEK) when shopping.

A ceremonial monarchy

Sweden is not only a parliamentary democracy but also a constitutional monarchy, and the current head of state is King Carl XVI Gustaf. ‘For Sweden – with the times’ is the king’s motto, which also guides the work of the entire Royal Court. The constitution clarifies that the king or queen has a ceremonial role and no political power. First-born Crown Princess Victoria is the designated heir to the throne according to the Act of Succession. The members of the Royal Family are dedicated to important issues like sustainability, children’s rights and health. 

Decentralisation

Ombudsmen

Ombudsman is originally a Swedish word that means representative. The ombudsman system – public agencies that represent the interests of individuals or groups – has been used in Sweden since 1809, to further ensure public transparency. They can handle complaints from people who feel that they’ve been treated wrongly by a public authority or civil servant.

Swedish public administration is based on decentralisation and a division of responsibilities between national, regional and local authorities. For example, healthcare and public transport are largely regional responsibilities. Schools, elderly- and childcare, as well as roads, water supply and waste management are local responsibilities. Work for improved accessibility is divided between different levels of government and public agencies. While our public sector is large, our central government is not, and a lot of responsibility lies instead with independent government agencies.