The four Swedish fundamental laws — Sweden's constitution

Sweden has four fundamental laws that together make up the country's constitution: the Instrument of Government (regeringsformen, 1974), the Freedom of the Press Act (tryckfrihetsförordningen, with roots in 1766), the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression (yttrandefrihetsgrundlagen, 1991) and the Act of Succession (successionsordningen, 1810). The fundamental laws sit above all ordinary legislation and can only be changed by two identical Riksdag decisions with a general election in between. This guide walks through each fundamental law, what it protects and why it is central to Swedish democracy — also for the Swedish citizenship test 2026, where the fundamental laws are one of the recurring topics.

What is a fundamental law?

A fundamental law is a law that sits above all other laws. Ordinary acts of the Riksdag may not conflict with the fundamental laws — if they do, they are invalid. Changing a fundamental law also requires a qualified procedure to protect democracy from quick majority decisions: two identical Riksdag decisions with an ordinary general election in between, so that voters indirectly get the chance to vote on the change.

The Instrument of Government, chapter 1 section 3, states it explicitly: "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." Together these four define Sweden's constitution.

1. The Instrument of Government — how Sweden is governed

The Instrument of Government is the core of Sweden's constitution. The current Instrument was adopted in 1974 and describes how Sweden is governed and which fundamental rights and freedoms apply to everyone in the country.

Chapter 1 section 1 states that "all public power in Sweden proceeds from the people" and that popular sovereignty "is based on free formation of opinion and on universal and equal suffrage".

Core elements of the Instrument of Government:

• Foundations of the system of government — popular sovereignty, parliamentarism, municipal self-government.
• The Riksdag's organisation — 349 members, elections every four years.
• The government and the Prime Minister — how they are appointed and removed.
• Courts and public administration — independence and the rule of law.
• Rights and freedoms — freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, the right to demonstrate, freedom of association, protection against discrimination.
• Relations with the EU and international agreements.

The Instrument of Government is the fundamental law you encounter most often in civics — it ties the entire Swedish system of government together. More on how it works in practice in the guide to how Sweden is governed.

2. The Freedom of the Press Act — press freedom and public access

The Freedom of the Press Act (Tryckfrihetsförordningen, TF) regulates the right to print and distribute writings — books, newspapers, leaflets — without prior censorship. The Act also provides the principle of public access (offentlighetsprincipen): the citizen's right to request public documents from authorities.

Press freedom was first enshrined in Swedish constitutional law in 1766 — as the first country in the world. The current TF was adopted in 1949, but the underlying principle is therefore close to 260 years old. It is one of the oldest constitutional principles in the country and a cornerstone of Swedish democracy.

Core elements:

• Ban on censorship — authorities may not review or block publication in advance.
• Whistleblower freedom (meddelarfrihet) — you have the right to give information to the media for publication, even if you work in the public sector.
• Source protection — journalists may not reveal their anonymous sources.
• Principle of public access — public documents are available unless they are classified.

The principle of public access is one of Sweden's most distinctive democratic features — as a citizen you can request registers, letters, decisions and emails from authorities at every level.

3. The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression — broadcast and digital media

The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression (Yttrandefrihetsgrundlagen, YGL) is Sweden's youngest fundamental law — adopted in 1991 — and extends the principles of press freedom to other media than printed publications:

• Radio (Sveriges Radio and commercial stations).
• Television (SVT, TV4, commercial channels).
• Film and technical recordings (VHS, DVD, CD, Blu-ray).
• Websites and digital media with a publishing licence (utgivningsbevis).

YGL was introduced after the Freedom of the Press Act proved insufficient for modern media. The internet emerged through the 1990s, and YGL has been adapted to protect freedom of expression there too — primarily for media that hold a publishing licence (a formal registration under YGL).

Together with the Freedom of the Press Act, YGL forms the backbone of Swedish media freedom.

4. The Act of Succession — the line of succession

The Act of Succession is Sweden's oldest fundamental law — adopted in 1810 — and regulates the line of succession for the Swedish royal house. It is formally a fundamental law because the form of government as a monarchy is inscribed in the Instrument of Government, and the rules of succession therefore have constitutional status.

The original Act of Succession from 1810 had male succession — only sons could inherit the throne. In 1979 the Riksdag decided to switch to gender-neutral succession: the eldest child (regardless of sex) inherits the throne. That change is why Crown Princess Victoria, born 1977, became heir to the throne instead of her younger brother Prince Carl Philip.

The Act of Succession is the fundamental law that touches everyday life least — but it is still a fundamental law, and its existence reflects that Sweden is a constitutional monarchy in which the king is head of state but without political power.

How is a fundamental law changed?

Changing a fundamental law requires a special procedure distinct from ordinary legislation. Chapter 8 of the Instrument of Government sets out:

1. Two identical Riksdag decisions must be made.
2. Between the decisions, an ordinary general election must be held.
3. A referendum can be held if at least one tenth of the Riksdag's members call for it and at least one third vote for the call — the referendum is held at the same time as the general election.

This means it normally takes at least four years to change a fundamental law — and voters have an opportunity to indirectly influence the decision at the next election. This protects the fundamental laws from temporary political majorities.

The Riksdag Act — an in-between status

In addition to the four fundamental laws there is also the Riksdag Act (riksdagsordningen), which regulates how the Riksdag itself works (committees, chamber, votes). It has a special status between fundamental law and ordinary law: some parts are changed under the same qualified procedure as the fundamental laws, others by qualified majority in a single decision. The Riksdag Act is not a fundamental law in the strict sense but is constitutionally protected.

What do you need to know for the test?

The citizenship test tests comprehension, not trivia. For the fundamental laws it goes a long way to be able to:

• Name all four fundamental laws and what each regulates in broad strokes.
• Explain the principle of public access in one sentence.
• Describe that the fundamental laws sit above ordinary laws and require a qualified procedure to change.
• Know that Sweden has free formation of opinion, universal and equal suffrage.

More in the guide to how Sweden is governed and the walkthrough of citizenship test topics. Start practising on medborgaretest.se to see where your knowledge holds up — the fundamental laws are one of the areas that come up on the test according to UHR's study material.

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Sources: Instrument of Government (SFS 1974:152); Government – The fundamental laws; Riksdag – Sweden's fundamental laws.