How Sweden is governed — the Riksdag, government and fundamental laws

In Sweden, all public power proceeds from the people. The people elect the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) every four years, the Riksdag appoints the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister forms the government. The Riksdag passes the laws; the government carries them out. Above all ordinary legislation sit the four fundamental laws — the Instrument of Government, the Act of Succession, the Freedom of the Press Act and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression — which together define Swedish democracy. This guide walks through the system step by step, with a focus on what you need to know for the Swedish citizenship test.

The people are the ultimate decision-maker

The Instrument of Government states that "all public power in Sweden proceeds from the people" and that "the Riksdag is the foremost representative of the people". The people exercise their influence through elections:

• Ordinary general elections are held every four years on the second Sunday of September.
• You have the right to vote if you are a Swedish citizen, will turn 18 by election day at the latest, and are or have been registered in Sweden.
• You vote for a party but can cast a personal vote for a candidate.

The general election distributes 349 seats between the parties. These 349 members together make up the Riksdag.

The Riksdag — the legislative branch

The Riksdag is "the highest decision-making assembly in Sweden". The Instrument of Government states explicitly that "the Riksdag consists of one chamber of 349 members" (chapter 3 section 2).

The Riksdag's main responsibilities:

• Decides on laws — the Riksdag is the sole legislator.
• Decides on the state budget — how tax revenue is distributed between the state, municipalities, regions and different purposes.
• Oversees the government — scrutinises whether the government is doing its job.
• Works on EU matters — since Sweden is an EU member since 1995.
• Influences foreign policy — for example by deciding on international agreements and major missions abroad.

The Speaker leads the work

The Speaker (talmannen) is the Riksdag's highest representative and chairs the chamber's sessions but does not normally take part in debates. There are also three Deputy Speakers.

The government — the executive branch

The government "takes the initiative on new laws and on changes to existing laws" and is responsible for carrying out the Riksdag's decisions. Once the Riksdag has decided on the state budget, "it is the government's responsibility to implement the Riksdag's decisions".

The government consists of:

• The Prime Minister — head of government.
• Ministers (statsråd) — responsible for different policy areas such as education, defence and finance.

To support its work, the government has the Government Offices (Regeringskansliet) — a large administration that prepares matters — and state agencies such as the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket), Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket), Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) and Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan).

How is the Prime Minister appointed?

When a new Prime Minister is to be appointed, the process is set out in chapter 6 section 4 of the Instrument of Government:

1. The Speaker consults representatives of every party group in the Riksdag.
2. The Speaker submits a proposal for Prime Minister to the Riksdag.
3. The Riksdag must vote on the proposal within four days — without preparation in committee.
4. The proposal fails if more than half of the Riksdag's members vote against it (so-called negative parliamentarism — it's enough that enough members abstain).
5. The appointed Prime Minister then forms a government.

The Riksdag can at any time direct a vote of no confidence against the government or an individual minister. If at least 175 members vote for the no-confidence motion, the affected party must resign (or, for the government as a whole, call a snap election).

How does an idea become a law?

The legislative process in Sweden is step by step:

1. Initiative — the government usually appoints an inquiry, or a member files a motion in the Riksdag.
2. Inquiry — a committee or government inquiry produces a proposal, often as an SOU (state public inquiry).
3. Consultation — agencies, organisations and stakeholders submit their views.
4. Council on Legislation referral — the government sends the proposal to the Council on Legislation (Lagrådet) for legal review.
5. Bill — the government submits its final proposal to the Riksdag.
6. Committee handling — one of the Riksdag's committees reviews and recommends a decision.
7. Riksdag decision — the Riksdag chamber votes.
8. Entry into force — the law takes effect on the date the Riksdag decides.

The reform on tightened requirements for Swedish citizenship followed exactly this pattern: inquiry → consultation round → Council on Legislation referral February 2026 → proposition 2025/26:175 → Riksdag decision → entry into force 6 June 2026.

The four fundamental laws

The Instrument of Government states explicitly that "the Instrument of Government, the Act of Succession, the Freedom of the Press Act and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression are the fundamental laws of the Realm" (chapter 1 section 3).

| Fundamental law | Regulates | |---|---| | Instrument of Government | How Sweden is governed, the foundations of the system of government and core rights and freedoms. | | Act of Succession | The line of succession — who inherits the title of monarch. | | Freedom of the Press Act | The right to print and distribute writings, plus the principle of public access. | | Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression | Freedom of expression in radio, TV, film, the internet and similar media. |

The Riksdag Act

In addition to the fundamental laws there is the Riksdag Act (riksdagsordningen), which regulates the Riksdag's own work. It has an in-between status between fundamental law and ordinary law — some parts are changed under fundamental-law procedure, others under ordinary law.

How is a fundamental law changed?

A fundamental law is changed by two identical Riksdag decisions with an ordinary general election in between. That gives voters an indirect chance to vote on the constitutional change at the next election. At least one tenth of the Riksdag's members can also call for a referendum — if at least one third of members vote for the call, the referendum is held alongside the general election.

The principle of public access

The principle of public access (offentlighetsprincipen) sits in the Freedom of the Press Act and means that as a citizen you have the right to request public documents from authorities — registers, letters, decisions, minutes, emails. The authority is required to release the document unless it is classified under the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act.

The principle of public access is a cornerstone of Swedish democracy and has existed since the 1700s. It applies to all public activity — state, municipalities and regions.

What do you need to know for the test?

The citizenship test tests comprehension, not trivia. For this area it goes a long way to be able to:

• Distinguish the role of the Riksdag from that of the government.
• Know that the Riksdag has 349 members and is elected every four years.
• Name the four fundamental laws and what each regulates.
• Explain the principle of public access in one sentence.
• Describe in broad strokes how the Prime Minister is appointed.

Anything beyond that is bonus. Start with civics practice questions to see which areas you already have under control — and which need more time. More on the core topic areas of the test and on the full requirements picture for citizenship 2026.

---

Sources: Instrument of Government (SFS 1974:152); Riksdag – How the Riksdag works; Government – How Sweden is governed.