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Swedish Parliment PDF
Swedish Parliment PDF
Welcome to
The Riksdag
Transparency and accessibility are important
elements of Swedish democracy and the work
of the Swedish Parliament the Riksdag. It is
possible to contact MPs and read about the
latest parliamentary decisions on the Riksdag
website www.riksdagen.se.
Or why not visit the Riksdag and listen to a
debate in the Chamber, make a study visit, take
a guided tour or take the chance to attend
the Open Day which is held every two years?
Main picture: Debate between party leaders Stefan Lfven (SocDem), Prime Minister,
and Annie Lf (Cen) in the autumn of 2014.
Right: On the way to the mini Riksdag in the former First Chamber.
Cover photo: Melker Dahlstrand. Other photos: Melker Dahlstrand, Johan Nilsson/TT, Henrik Montgomery/TT, Annika af Klercker/TT, Martin Nau-
clr/TT, Mikael Wallerstedt/TT, Hkan Pettersson/Matton, Camilla Svensk, Magnus Frderberg/Norden.org, Elisabeth Bjrnsdotter Rahm, Lubbe Garell,
Riksdagens arkiv, Holger Staffansson. Illustrations: Pontus Bjrlin.
Production:The Information Department of the Riksdag. Printed by: Elanders, Stockholm, December 2015.
ISSN 1651-6273. ISBN 978-91-87541-07-0.
4| The Swedish Parliament
The largest meeting room in the Riksdag is called the Chamber. It is here that
the 349 MPs gather to debate and make decisions.
6| The Swedish Parliament
The people make their voices heard. The Constitution Open Day at the Riksdag in the spring of 2015
safeguards the right to demonstrate. a meeting place for MPs and the public.
The Swedish Parliament |7
The fact that there are several political parties with Gvleborg 11
different policies to vote for is a precondition for a country
to be termed a democracy. Dalarna 11 Vstmanland 10
rebro 12 Uppsala 12
Stockholm
County 39
V. Gtaland Vrmland 11
norra 13
Municipality of
V. Gtaland Stockholm 32
vstra 13 Sdermanland 11
V. Gtaland stergtland 15
stra 10
Municipality Kalmar 8
of Gteborg 17 Gotland 2
Jnkping 13
V. Gtaland sdra 6
Halland 12 Kronobergs 6
Blekinge 5
Skne vstra 11
Skne norra
Municipality och stra 13
of Malm 11
Skne sdra 13
The Swedish Parliament |9
Three elections on the same day the general election and local elections to
county councils and municipalities. The colour and number of ballot papers
can be checked through a small opening in the ballot envelope.
10| The Swedish Parliament
THE RIKSDAG MEETS not take part in debates and is not allowed to vote
When the members of the Riksdag meet after an elec- when an item of business is to be decided. For this
tion, their first task is to elect a Speaker and three De- reason the Speakers seat in parliament is taken by an
puty Speakers from among the members of the Riks- alternate member from his or her party. The alternate
dag. Despite the fact that the Speaker is a member of a member participates fully in all activities as an MP.
political party, he or she must be politically impartial The MPs who are part of the Government also have
in relation to the various parties when carrying out alternate members in their seats in the Riksdag.
the responsibilities inherent in the position. Deputy Speakers may not participate in the de
The Speaker leads the work of the Riksdag and bates they lead, but they may vote when decisions are
the meetings in the Chamber where the MPs hold taken, and they may participate in the work of the
their debates and make decisions. The Speaker does committees.
The former Second Chamber in the East Wing of the Riksdag is used as a meeting room by the
largest party group in the Riksdag, the Social Democratic Party. The murals are by Axel Trneman.
The next largest party group, the Moderate Party, meets in the former First Chamber.
The Swedish Parliament |13
Lft
ChrDem
Grn Cen
Lib
SocDem
Mod
Meeting of the Committee on Education. The figure shows how the seats
in the committees are distributed between the parties after the 2014 elections.
Seats are distributed according to the partys relative size.
14| The Swedish Parliament
Transport, health and medical care, industry and the sports sector are among the many areas the parliamentary
committees are responsible for.
The Swedish Parliament |15
Monetary policy is the subject of the Committee on Finances public hearing in the autumn of 2015
with Governor of the Riksbank Stefan Ingves and Deputy Governor Cecilia Skingsley. Upper photo:
Janine Alm Ericson (Grn) and Hkan Svenneling (Lft) from the Committee on Finance.
16| The Swedish Parliament
Side by side overlooking the waters of Stockholm. The Government Offices to the left and the Riksdag buildings
on Helgeandsholmen to the right. The Riksdag adopts laws and ensures that the Government works in compli-
ance with and implements the decisions.
The Swedish Parliament |17
the Riksdags decisions are implemented and it can authority or a court, for example, deals with a specific
issue regulations on how this is to be done. Such re- matter or case. This is termed ministerial rule and is
gulations are termed ordinances. However, responsi- prohibited in Sweden. The agencies themselves decide
bility then moves to the public administration. Mu- on the thousands of matters they have to deal with. If
nicipalities, county councils and central government a minister is found to have interfered, he or she may
agencies must ensure that decisions are implemented. be forced to resign.
Central government agencies in Sweden are fairly Finally, it is the Riksdags task to examine Go-
large and a utonomous in comparison to those of vernment activities, to ensure that the Government
other countries. Although they report to the Govern- carries out its responsibilities in accordance with
ment, they are not actually part of the Government existing laws and regulations, and that the decisions
Offices. Consequently the Government is not permit- taken by the Riksdag are implemented in society.
ted to interfere in the way in which an agency, a local
1. A new item
of legislation The Government
usually begins with 4. The parliamentary
a proposal from committee prepares
the Government, and writes a report
a Government bill. in which it presents a
Government Bill proposal for a decision
by the Riksdag.
The Chamber
of the Riksdag Committee
2. Members of the Riksdag may
also submit proposals, known as
private members motions. Many Report
motions are in effect counter-
proposals to Government bills.
Members of
the Riksdag 3. Government bills and
Motions motions are submitted
to the Chamber.The
proposals are then sent to
the relevant parliamentary
committee. Party groups
The Swedish Parliament |19
Committee considerations are concluded with a bates are important nevertheless; all the meetings of
committee report which describes the matter and the the Chamber are open to the public, and representa
majority proposal for a decision by the Riksdag. tives of the various parties then have an opportunity
The members of a committee who do not support to give an account of their opinions and explain their
the proposal often submit reservations, in which they positions.
present what they think should be done instead and Debates on committee reports often end with
state the reasons for their opinions. These reserva- a vote but, if the parties are agreed on a matter, the
tions are included in the committee report. Riksdag can make a decision without holding a de-
bate or a vote.
OPEN DEBATE IN THE CHAMBER
After the 2014 elections, the Social Democratic
Once the report has been submitted to the Riksdag, Party and Green Party formed a government with
the members have a few days in which to read it be- 138 seats in the Riksdag. As a minority government,
fore it is dealt with in the Chamber. Since the mat- they need support from other parties in order to win
ter has already been considered by a committee and approval for their proposals. The Moderate Party,
controversial issues have been discussed by the party Centre Party, Liberal Party and Christian Democrats,
groups, there may be relatively few members present which formed the previous alliance government, have
in the Chamber during the actual debate. But de 141 seats together.
The Chamber
of the Riksdag
Minister for Finance Magdalena Andersson (SocDem) on her way to the Riksdag to present the Governments proposal
for the central government budget, the Budget Bill. The Government proposes the permitted level of central govern-
ment spending. The Riksdag decides.
The Swedish Parliament |21
A hearing in the Committee on the Constitution. This time it is the Prime Minister
Stefan Lfven (SocDem) who is being called to account in the spring of 2015.
24| The Swedish Parliament
Public hearing in the Committee on EU Affairs with Prime Minister Stefan Lfven
(SocDem) ahead of a meeting of the European Council in the autumn of 2014.
26| The Swedish Parliament
International contacts
With the increasing importance of the
international perspective, the Riksdags involvement in
foreign affairs has expanded. Many political issues require
cross-border cooperation and foreign policy is often deba-
ted in the Chamber of the Riksdag.
The Riksdag participates in the establishment of fo-
reign policy together with the Government. At the begin-
ning of the year a foreign policy debate is held in the Riks-
dag and the Minister for Foreign Affairs presents Swedens
foreign policy to the MPs. During the rest of the year, the
Government consults the Riksdag Advisory Council on
Foreign Affairs.
In a few cases it is the Riksdag that takes foreign po-
licy decisions and in these cases, the matter is first prepa-
red by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The Riksdags
decision-making areas include which countries Sweden
sends peacekeeping forces to and what percentage of the
gross national income should be spent on development
cooperation.
On account of Swedens membership of the European
Union, the Riksdag also maintains lively contacts with
other member states. Cooperation concerning legislation
has become a part of the day-to-day activities of the Riks-
dag committees.
LIVELY, CROSS-BORDER CONTACTS
The Riksdag receives a large number of foreign guests
and delegations every year. In addition, the Speaker and
Deputy Speakers, MPs and the committees themselves all
venture out into the world to exchange experience, pro-
vide information and create and maintain their contact
networks.
The Speakers meet speakers and presidents of other
parliaments, heads of state, ministers and representatives
of international organisations such as the UN.
MPs international contacts generally occur within
parliamentary assemblies such as the Nordic Council or
the Council of Europe. The Riksdag is also involved in
supporting new democracies and MPs are sent to observe
elections all over the world. In addition, MPs form part of
Swedish government delegations to various UN meetings.
MPs from different parties often form associations on
the basis of a personal commitment to a specific foreign
policy issue, for example environmental problems or glo-
bal food supply. Several friendship associations with other
countries and regions have also been formed within the
Riksdag.
The Swedish Parliament |27
The Speaker Urban Ahlin receives Chair- The seven member states/territories
man of the Senate of Pakistan Syed Nayyar of the Nordic Council at a meeting in
Hussain Bokhari and delegation. Stockholm in the spring of 2013.
Torgny Lagman holds a speech to Olof Sktkonung at the Thing in Uppsala around the year 1000. This mural by Axel
Trneman is in the former Second Chamber.
The Swedish Parliament |29
However, there have also been periods of au- Riksdag Act was passed. Since then the Constitution
tocratic royal power. During the Carolinian au- has been amended twice; in 1974 and in 2010. In 1866
tocracy of 16801718, Karl XI and Karl XII reigned a representational reform was implemented, marking
without regard to the Council of the Realm or the the end of the Riksdag of the Estates and its replace-
Riksdag. This was also true for most of Gustav IIIs ment with a bicameral system. The present-day uni-
reign (177192). Between 1718 and 1772 the Riksdag cameral system was introduced in 1971.
governed the country. Two groupings arose in the
Riksdag of the Estates the Hats and the Caps who
alternated in power in a way rather similar to the
The path to universal suffrage
present-day parliamentary system.
1909 All men get the right to vote
POWER DIVIDED
1919 All women get the right to vote
In 1809 Sweden adopted a new Constitution based
on the division of powers. The Instrument of Go- 1921 Sweden holds it first parliamentary
vernment stipulated how power was to be divided election with equal suffrage for women
between the King, the Riksdag and the executive bo- and men
dies. Courts and public agencies and authorities were 1922 Five women become members of
given autonomous status. The Office of the Parlia- parliament
mentary Ombudsman was also created. In 1810 a new
Women demonstrating for the right to vote in Gteborg in 1918. Members of the Riksdag in the former First Chamber
in 1905. In 1971, the bicameral Riksdag was replaced by a single chamber.
30| The Swedish Parliament
The media technicians are responsible for webcasts from the Chamber.
1 East Wing of the Riksdag 2 West Wing of the Riksdag 3 Public entrance Riksgatan 3
4 Members Building 5 Neptunus Complex 6 Cephalus Complex 7 Riksdag Library
1
5
7
2
4
3 6
The Swedish Parliament
This brochure is also available in Swedish and easy
Swedish. The brochures may be downloaded or
ordered free of charge from the Riksdag website
www.riksdagen.se or from Riksdagens
tryckeriexpedition:
E-mail ordermottagningen@riksdagen.se
Telephone +46 8 786 58 10