Politics of Sweden

Benedict (Viktor) Gombocz

Geography of Sweden Location: Northern Europe, bordering

the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway

Area Total: 450,295 sq km Country comparison to the world: 56 Land: 410,335 sq km Water: 39,960 sq km

Area – comparative: Slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: Total: 2,233 km Border countries: Finland 614 km,

Norway 1,619 km

Coastline: 3,218 km

Physical Map of Sweden

Religion in Sweden Christianity in Sweden traces its roots back to Norse

paganism in the 11th century.

Sweden has been mostly Lutheran since the 16th century; the Lutheran Church of Sweden (Swedish: Svenska kyrkan) was Sweden’s state church from the Protestant Reformation until 2000.

As of 2012, 67.5% of Sweden’s population belongs to the Church of Sweden, in comparison with more than 95% in 1970, and 83% in 2000.

In spite of this, religion in Sweden only plays a small role in comparison to the European average.

In a 2010 Eurobarometer Poll, only 18% of Swedish citizens indicated that “they believe there is a god.”

In a 2009 Gallup poll, only 17% said yes to the question “Is religion an important part of your daily life?”.

Fewer than 4% of the Church of Sweden membership attends public masses in an average week; almost only 2% are regular attendees.

Some researchers consider Sweden to be a country where religion is viewed with “benign indifference”.

The history of the Jews in Sweden dates back to the 17th century.

Due to immigration in the late 20th century, there is a sizable Muslim minority (4% of the population) and Roman Catholics (2%).

Religion Statistics Lutheran: 87% Other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and

Buddhist):13%

Malmö Mosque and Sankta-Maria-i-Rosengård Catholic Church

Sweden’s political system: Introducing Sweden’s political system The political system of Sweden functions in a structure of a parliamentary

representative democratic constitutional monarchy. The government, led by the PM of Sweden, exercises executive power. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament, elected within a

multi-party structure. The Judiciary, named by the government and employed until retirement, is

independent. Sweden has a distinctive Western European history of democracy, starting with the

old Viking age Ting electing kings and ending with a normal royal power, that in eras became relatively democratic depending on the common European leanings, in the 14th century.

The current democratic régime is a result of a steady growth of successively added democratic institutions that date back to the 19th century up to 1921, when women’s suffrage was legalized.

The Swedish government has adhered to parliamentarism – de jure since 1975, de facto since 1917.

The Social Democratic Workers’ Party, which has had a plurality (and occasionally a majority) in parliament since 1917, has largely ruled Swedish national politics since the Great Depression; from 1932-2006, the Social Democrats led the government for 65 years, almost entirely in the absence of a minor partner.

Sweden’s political system: Government of Sweden Capital (and largest city):

Stockholm Official language(s): Swedish Demonym: Swedish Government: Unitary

parliamentary representative democracy under constitutional monarchy

Monarch: King Carl XVI Gustaf Prime Minister: Fredrik Reinfeldt

(M) Speaker of the Riksdag: Per

Westerberg (M) Legislature: Riksdag

Sweden’s political system: Constitution Sweden’s constitution is divided into four basic laws. The most important law is the Instrument of Government of 1974,

which lays out the vital standards of political life in Sweden, outlining rights and liberties.

The Act of Succession is a treaty between the old Riksdag of the Estates and the House of Bernadotte legalizing their rights to accede to the Swedish throne.

The four primary laws are: Instrument of Government (1974) Act of Succession (1809) Freedom of the Press Act (1766) Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression (1991)

Sweden’s political system: Executive branch

Main office holders Roles of the King and the Prime Minister

Office: King Name: Carl XVI Gustaf Party: None Since: 15 September 1973

Office: Speaker of the Riksdag Name: Per Westerberg Party: Moderate Party Since: 2 October 2006

Office: Prime Minister Name: Fredrik Reinfeldt Party: Moderate Party Since: 5 October 2006

Head of State King Carl XVI Gustaf of the House of

Bernadotte became king in 1973. His power is formal, symbolic, and

representative.

Head of government After the 17 September 2006

general elections, Moderate Party nominee Fredrik Reinfeldt was elected PM of Sweden by the new parliament on 5 October; along with the three other political parties in the centre-right Alliance for Sweden, Reinfeldt heads a coalition government.

Jan Björklund of the Liberal People’s Party is the Deputy PM.

Sweden’s political system: Government The most supreme executive power of the State is vested in the

Government, which is made up of a PM and almost 22 Ministers who supervise the ministries; the Ministers are nominated at the PM’s sole discretion.

The PM is nominated by the Speaker and subsequently appointed after a vote in the Riksdag itself, a procedure in which the Monarch plays no role.

Only a motion of no confidence (misstroendevotum) in the Riksdag can oust a government; this motion needs a majority of the total amount of votes in the Riksdag (no less than175).

The taking on of the budget in the Riksdag is another case in point of the power the legislature has granted the Government.

Unless a majority of the Riksdag members vote against it, the Government’s suggestion to the budget is adopted.

Sweden’s political system: Political parties with official representation Swedish Social Democratic Party

(Sveriges Socialdemokratiska arbetarparti, S)

Moderate Party (Moderata samlingspartiet, M)

Green Party (Miljöpartiet de Gröna, MP)

Liberal People’s Party (Folkpartiet Liberalerna, FP)

Centre Party (Centerpartiet, C) Sweden Democrats

(Sverigedemokraterna, SD) Pirate Party (Piratpartiet, PP) Christian Democrats

(Kristdemokraterna, KD) Left Party (Vänsterpartiet, V)

Sweden’s political system: Legislative branch The unicameral Riksdag is grouped of 349

members, commonly elected every four years; it is usually in session between September and mid-June.

The Cabinet or members of the Riksdag may initiate legislation.

Members are elected on the basis of proportional representation for a term of four years.

The Riksdag can modify the Constitution of Sweden, but only with approval by a supermajority and verification following the subsequent general elections.

Since 1917, after Reformists verified their strength and the revolutionaries left, the Swedish Social Democratic Party has taken a leading political role.

The cabinets have been ruled by the Social Democrats since after 1932.

The centre-right bloc has been given enough seats in the Riksdag to create a government in only four general elections (1976, 1979, 1991, 2006).

This is seen as one factor for Sweden’s status as a post-war welfare state, with a government spending of slightly over 50% of the GDP.

Sweden’s political system: Judiciary Swedish law, based on Germanic, Roman, and Anglo-American

law, is neither codified as it is in France and other countries influenced by the Napoleonic Code, nor as reliant on judicial practice and examples as it is in the United States. Courts: Civil and criminal jurisdiction.

Supreme Court or Högsta domstolen Courts of appeal or Hovrätt District courts or Tingsrätter

Administrative Courts: Proceedings between the Public and the Government. The Supreme Administrative Court or Regeringsrätten Administrative courts of appeal or Kammarrätter County administrative courts or Länsrätter

Ombudsman: The Parliamentary Ombudsman or Justitieombudsmannen The Chancellor of Justice or Justitiekanslern

Carl XVI Gustaf Born 30 April 1946 at the Haga

Palace. Reigning King of Sweden since 15

September 1973, when he succeeded his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf.

Is the only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

In contrast to many other European monarchs who bear extensive methods, King Carl Gustaf’s official and full style is simply His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden.

His perceptible successor, upon the passing of a new law establishing absolute primogeniture (the first law of its kind passed in European history), is Crown Princess Victoria, the oldest child of the King and his wife, Queen Silva.

Fredrik Reinfeldt Born 4 August 1965 in Österhaninge.

32nd and current PM of Sweden; assumed office on 6 October 2006, following the general election.

Has served as chairman of the liberal conservative Moderate Party since 2003; was President of the European Council in 2009.

A native of Stockholm County; joined the Moderate Youth League in 1983, and advanced to the rank of chairman by 1992, holding that post until 1995.

Has served as an MP since 1991, representing his home constituency.

Was elected party leader on 25 October 2003; succeeded Bo Lundgren.

Under his leadership, the Moderate Party has reformed its politics and shifted itself towards the centre, calling itself “the New Moderates” (Swedish: Nya moderaterna).

Governs over a coalition government with the support of a slight majority in the parliament, along with the three other political parties in the centre-right Alliance for Sweden.

Was the third youngest individual, at the age of 41, to become PM of Sweden.

His first term in office was marked by the late 2000s financial crisis and recession; his popularity diminished in the midst of the financial crisis, but when the Swedish economy emerged as one of the best in Europe, his support recovered, which resulted in his re-election in 2010.

Following the 2010 general election, his government was lessened to a minority government, although it also became the first right of centre government since before WWII to win re-election; consequently, Reinfeldt became the first Moderate politician to win a second term as PM.

Is also the lengthiest-serving Moderate PM in Sweden’s history; his government is the lengthiest-serving consecutive non-social democratic government since Erik Gustaf Boström in 1900.

Per Westerberg Born 2 August 1951 in Nyköping.

Current Speaker of the Riksdag, of which he became a member in 1979 (making him its oldest member), since 2 October 2006.

Graduated from Stockholm School of Economics in 1974.

Was employed at Saab-Scania in Södertälje from 1974-1977; was also employed at Saab-Scania (the car division) in Nyköping from 1979-1991.

Was a member of the board of AB Karl W. Olsson in 1974 and chairman of the Cewe Instrument AB 1984-1990 and of Elwia AB from 1985.

Served as director of the Enterprise Agency FFV from 1983, and as a member of the Power Management Committee from 1978-1982, and of the cooperative inquiry 1980-1983, of the inquiry for the recovery of beverage containers from 1982-1983, and of the ownership investigation from 1995.

His family has owned a business for generations.

Swedish Social Democratic Party Centre-left, social democratic political party.

Contests elections as the Workers’ Party – The Social Democrats (Arbetarepartiet-Socialdemokraterna), even though it is more commonly referred to simply as the Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterna).

Oldest and biggest political party in Sweden; was founded on 23 April 1889.

A break occurred in 1917 when the socialists left the Social Democrats to found the Swedish Social Democratic Left Party (now the Left Party).

The SAP’s symbol is by tradition a red rose, thought to have been Fredrik Ström’s idea.

Its political position has a hypothetical base within Marxist revisionism; its party program interchangeably refers to their ideology as democratic socialism, or social democracy, but hardly any high-level delegates have invoked socialism since Olof Palme.

Advocates social welfare provision paid for from progressive taxation and a social corporatist economy that involves the institutionalization of a social partnership structure between capital and labor economic interest groups, with government supervision to solve disagreements between the two factions.

Have also become strong advocators of feminism and fairness of all sorts in recent times, and are strongly opposed to what they see as discrimination and racism.

Commenced the Red-Greens along with the Greens and the Left Party on 7 December 2008; the parties contested the 2010 general election, but lost to the centre-right Alliance, and the Red-Green alliance fell on 26 November 2010.

Member of Socialist International (International affiliation), Party of European Socialists (European affiliation), Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (EP group), and SAMAK (Nordic affiliation).

The End (Slutet)