The Swedish National Audit Office ( Swedish : Riksrevisionen ) is the agency responsible for oversight of the state finances through financial and performance audits of state agencies , state-owned companies and the Government of Sweden . It serves directly under the Riksdag and is therefore independent of the Cabinet. All state agencies are required to submit copies of their annual accounts and reports to this office for review.
56-533: The mission of the Swedish National Audit Office is to examine the government's activities in order to contribute to the effective management of state administration. The agency is led by one Auditor General ( riksrevisor ) who is appointed for a seven-year term without the possibility of re-appointment. The Auditor General decide independently on aspects of the state government to be audited, how to do its investigations. The independence of
112-485: A "public authority" (local or central government, and all publicly operated establishments) must be available to all members of the public. It also states that all public authorities must provide information promptly ( skyndsamt ) upon request. Exemptions from the right to access to public documents are defined in the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act ( Offentlighets- och sekretesslagen ) which succeeded
168-546: A 4-year term . The Speaker is not allowed to vote, but the three deputies are allowed to vote. The speaker of the Riksdag nominates a Prime Minister ( Swedish : statsminister , literally minister of state) after holding talks with leaders of the various party groups in the Riksdag. The nomination is then put to a vote. The nomination is rejected (meaning the Speaker must find a new nominee) only if an absolute majority of
224-478: A basic framework that stands above other laws and regulation, and also define which agreements are themselves above normal Swedish law. The Parliament Act ( Swedish : Riksdagsordningen ) is usually considered to be halfway between a fundamental law and a normal law, with certain main chapters afforded similar protections as the fundamental laws while other additional chapters require only a simple parliamentary majority in order to be amended. To amend or to revise
280-433: A different numeral to the name Aftonbladet , thus publishing a formally different newspaper. The right to revoke was finally abolished in 1844. The 1766 Act held for example that freedom of expression was to be uninhibited, except for "violations", which included blasphemy and criticism of the state. The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression [ sv ] ( Swedish : Yttrandefrihetsgrundlagen, YGL ) of 1991
336-639: A fundamental law, the Riksdag needs to approve the changes twice in two successive terms with simple majorities, with a general election having been held in between. The first vote can be supplemented with a referendum. The most important of the fundamental laws is the Instrument of Government ( Swedish : Regeringsformen, RF ). It sets out the basic principles for political life in Sweden defining rights and freedoms. The 1974 Instrument of Government grants
392-598: A motion for a referendum which must be supported by at least one-third of all MPs. The referendum is held simultaneously with Riksdag elections and the amendment is deemed rejected if a simple majority of voters reject it, provided the majority is a majority of all valid votes. If the people do not dismiss a change, it still has to be ratified by the newly elected Riksdag. Such a referendum has never been used. Riksdag Confidence and supply (73) Opposition (173) The Riksdag ( Swedish: [ˈrɪ̌ksdɑː(ɡ)] , lit. transl. " diet of
448-585: A new Freedom of Press Act and Act of Succession). The new Instrument of Government established a separation of powers between the executive branch (the king) and the legislative branch (the Riksdag of the Estates) and gave the king and the Riksdag of the Estates joint power over legislation, with the king still playing a central role in government but no longer independently of the Privy Council . The king
504-410: A salary of SEK 71,500 (around $ 6,300) per month. According to a survey investigation by the sociologist Jenny Hansson, Members of the Riksdag have an average work week of 66 hours, including side responsibilities. Hansson's investigation further reports that the average member sleeps 6.5 hours per night. The presidium consists of a speaker and three deputy speakers . They are elected for
560-518: A treaty between the royal dynasty and the realm represented by the four Estates to be valid for all times. Accordingly, the current 1810 Act of Succession ( Swedish : Successionsordningen, SO ) is a treaty between the old Riksdag of the Estates and the House of Bernadotte regulating the right to accede to the Swedish throne. In 1980, the old principle of agnatic primogeniture , which meant that
616-621: Is a general term for " parliament " or "assembly", but it is typically only used for Sweden's legislature and certain related institutions. In addition to Sweden's parliament, it is also used for the Parliament of Finland and the Estonian Riigikogu , as well as the historical German Reichstag and the Danish Rigsdagen . In Swedish use, riksdagen is usually not capitalised. Riksdag derives from
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#1732765581345672-605: Is a lengthier document defining freedom of expression in all media except for written books and magazines (such as radio , television , the Internet , etc.) In the 18th century, after over 40 years of mixed experiences with parliamentarism, public access to public documents was one of the main issues with the Freedom of the Press Act of 1766. Although the novelty was put out of order 1772–1809, it has since remained central in
728-541: Is cast against the Prime Minister this means the entire government is rejected. A losing government has one week to call for a general election or else the procedure of nominating a new Prime Minister starts anew. No party has won a single majority in the Riksdag since 1968. Political parties with similar agendas consequently cooperate on several issues, forming coalition governments or other formalized alliances. Two major blocs existed in parliament until 2019,
784-497: Is required for a party to enter the Riksdag, alternatively 12% or more within a constituency. Substitutes for each deputy are elected at the same time as each election, so by-elections are rare. In the event of a snap election , the newly elected members merely serve the remainder of the four-year term. The electoral system in Sweden is proportional . Of the 349 seats in the unicameral Riksdag, 310 are fixed constituency seats allocated to 29 multi-member constituencies in relation to
840-580: Is the most recent general election . The constitutional mandates of the Riksdag are enumerated in the Instrument of Government ( Regeringsformen ), and its internal workings are specified in greater detail in the Riksdag Act ( Riksdagsordningen ). The seat of the Riksdag is at Parliament House ( Riksdagshuset ), on the island of Helgeandsholmen in central Stockholm , in Gamla stan ,
896-544: The Auditor General of the National [Swedish] Accounting and Audit Bureau, Inga-Britt Ahlenius , was against said merger, as she claimed in several statements to the media that the merger would limit the Swedish National Audit Office's ability to act independently from the government. Constitution of Sweden The Basic Laws of Sweden ( Swedish : Sveriges grundlagar ) are the four constitutional laws of
952-629: The Augsburg confession was decided and given constitutional status at the Synod of Uppsala ( Swedish : Uppsala möte ). References to Uppsala Synod have since then been worked into the fundamental laws, notably the Act of Succession . In 2000, the Church was separated from the state and became an independent organization, but the ruling body of the church is still decided by public voting (among members of
1008-650: The Kingdom of Sweden that regulate the Swedish political system , acting in a similar manner to the constitutions of most countries. These four laws are: the Instrument of Government ( Swedish : Regeringsformen ), the Freedom of the Press Act ( Swedish : Tryckfrihetsförordningen ), the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression ( Swedish : Yttrandefrihetsgrundlagen ) and the Act of Succession ( Swedish : Successionsordningen ). Together, they constitute
1064-621: The Lord High Treasurer of Sweden . Under King John III , the annual Rikshufvudboken was published which contained a breakdown of all national finances of Sweden within that year. In 1680, King Charles XI moved all governmental auditing responsibilities from the Kammarkollegiet to a new government agency called the Swedish Agency for Administrative Development [ sv ] , which lasted until 1920 when
1120-576: The Sami people . It also strengthens judicial powers to make it easier to determine whether new laws contravene the constitution or the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union . These amendments took effect on 1 January 2011. The other two acts define the freedom of the press and other forms of expression . They are separated into two separate laws mainly to maintain the tradition of
1176-530: The genitive of rike , referring to royal power, and dag , meaning diet or conference; the German word Reichstag and the Danish Rigsdag are cognate . The Oxford English Dictionary traces English use of the term "Riksdag" in reference to the Swedish assembly back to 1855. The roots of the modern Riksdag can be found in a 1435 meeting in the city of Arboga ; however, only three of
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#17327655813451232-498: The realm " ; also Swedish : riksdagen [ˈrɪ̌ksdan] or Sveriges riksdag [ˈsvæ̌rjɛs ˈrɪ̌ksdɑː(ɡ)] ) is the parliament and the supreme decision-making body of the Kingdom of Sweden . Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral parliament with 349 members ( riksdagsledamöter ), elected proportionally and serving, since 1994, fixed four-year terms. The 2022 Swedish general election
1288-481: The socialist / green Red-Greens and the conservative / liberal Alliance . The latter—consisting of the Moderate Party, Liberals, Centre Party, and Christian Democrats—governed Sweden from 2006 through most of 2014 (after 2010 through a minority government ). The Red-Greens combination disbanded on 26 October 2010 but continued to be considered the main opposition until the 2014 election, following which
1344-809: The 349 members are women. Five parties have a majority representation of female MPs as of 2022: the Left Party (17 of 24, 70.8%), the Green Party (12 of 18, 66.7%), the Liberals (9 of 16, 56.3%), the Center Party (13 of 24, 54.2%), and the Social Democratic Party (55 of 107, 51.4%). The party with the lowest share of female MPs is the Sweden Democrats (18 of 73, 24.7%). Members of the Riksdag are full-time legislators with
1400-498: The Act was amended in order to curtail freedom of the press, but restored in 1810 following the overthrow of his son , and later amended to ensure this fact in 1812, 1949 and 1982. The option to revoke publishing licenses was retained until the late rule of Charles XIV John and used widely against Liberal papers such as Aftonbladet , which saw its license revoked ten times in 1838 alone. Publisher Lars Johan Hierta solved this by adding
1456-539: The Church of Sweden has to be a democratic, Lutheran, Folk church. As a result of the separation, people born in Sweden where the parents are members of the Church of Sweden since 2000 no longer become members of the church automatically at birth. Amendments of the fundamental laws must be adopted twice by the Riksdag with a simple majority of the votes cast, with intervening elections. Within 15 days of an amendment's first enactment, at least one-tenth of all MPs may bring
1512-606: The Constitution) enacted in 1974, that task was removed from the Monarch of Sweden and given to the Speaker of the Riksdag. To make changes to the Constitution under the new Instrument of Government, amendments must be approved twice, in two successive electoral periods with a regular general election held in between. There are 15 parliamentary committees in the Riksdag. As of September 2022, 163 members, or 46.7% of
1568-482: The Council on Foreign Affairs, recognizing new cabinets (in the Council of State), and opening the annual session of the Riksdag. The monarch is to be continually briefed on governmental issues—in the Council of State or directly by the prime minister. The first constitutional Instrument of Government was enacted in 1719, marking the transition from autocracy to parliamentarism. Sweden's bloodless coup d'état of 1772
1624-519: The Freedom of the Press Act from 1766, largely the work of proto-Liberal Cap Party politician Anders Chydenius , which abolished censorship and restricted limitations to retroactive legal measures for criticism of the Lutheran state church and the royal house exclusively. The Freedom of the Press Act ( Swedish : Tryckfrihetsförordningen, TF ) was changed several times since its first incarnation; following Gustav III 's coup d'etat in 1772,
1680-482: The Instrument of Government of 1974, which, although technically adherent to constitutional monarchy , created the Government of Sweden in its present constitutional form. In 2009, the Riksdag approved Proposition 2009/10:80, "A Reformed Constitution" ( Swedish : En reformerad grundlag ), making substantial amendments to the Instrument of Government, and related acts. The amendment modernized and simplified
1736-457: The Monarch that the Riksdag has elected a new Prime Minister and that the Prime Minister has chosen his cabinet ministers. The Riksdag can cast a vote of no confidence against any single cabinet minister ( Swedish : statsråd ), thus forcing a resignation. To succeed, a vote of no confidence must be supported by an absolute majority (175 members) or it has failed. If a vote of no confidence
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1792-535: The Second Chamber with 233 members. The First Chamber was indirectly elected by county and city councillors, while the Second Chamber was directly elected by universal suffrage. This reform was a result of great discontent with the old Estates, which, following the changes brought by the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution , was no longer able to provide representation for large segments of
1848-662: The Secrecy Act ( Sekretesslagen ) in 2009. The act details which information government agencies can keep secret, under what circumstances, and towards whom. According to the Chapter 2, Article 2 of the Freedom of the Press Act: "The right of access to official documents may be restricted only if restriction is necessary having regard to This list is exhaustive and the Parliament may not legislate about restrictions outside
1904-551: The Social Democrats and the Green Party formed a government with support from the Left Party. In 2019, after the 2018 election in which neither bloc won a majority of seats, the Social Democrats and Green Party formed a government with support from the Liberals and Centre Party, breaking the center-right Alliance. In March 2019, the Christian Democrats and Moderate Party signaled a willingness to talk with
1960-405: The Sweden Democrats. All 349 members of the Riksdag are elected in the general elections held every four years. All Swedish citizens who turn 18 years old no later than on the day of the election and have at one point been registered residents are eligible to vote. To stand for election, a candidate must be eligible to vote and be nominated by a political party. A minimum of 4% of the national vote
2016-406: The Swedish mindset, seen as a forceful means against corruption and government agencies' unequal treatment of the citizens, increasing the perceived legitimacy of (local and central) government and politicians . The Principle of Public Access ( Swedish : Offentlighetsprincipen ), as the collection of rules is commonly referred to, provides that all information and documents created or received by
2072-747: The auditing portion of the Swedish Agency for Administrative Development was transferred to a new agency called Riksräkenskapsverket , under the control of the Ministry of Finance . In 1963, the Riksräkenskapsverket was renamed as the Auditor General of the National Swedish Accounting and Audit Bureau [ sv ] . Separately in 1867, the Parliamentary (Riksdag) Auditors [ sv ]
2128-399: The church), and mostly consists of the political parties. The Church of Sweden is often classified as a semi-state church. This is because of its formal separation from the state but its lasting ties with official Sweden, most notably the Riksdag and the monarch. The Church of Sweden is also the only religious organization regulated by its own law, the Church of Sweden Act, which stipulates that
2184-488: The estates were probably present: the nobility , the clergy and the burghers . This informal organization was modified in 1527 by the first modern Swedish king, Gustav I Vasa , to include representatives from all the four social estates : the nobility , the clergy, the burghers (property-owning commoners in the towns such as merchants etc.), and the yeomanry ( freehold farmers). This form of Ständestaat representation lasted until 1866, when representation by estate
2240-400: The king's decision. This constitution placed considerable de jure power in the king, but it was increasingly exercised in accordance with his councillors' advice. From 1917, the king adhered to principles of parliamentarism by choosing councillors possessing direct or indirect support from a majority of the Riksdag . After over fifty years of de facto parliamentarism, it was written into
2296-479: The members (175 members) vote "no"; otherwise, it is confirmed. This means the Riksdag can consent to a Prime Minister without casting any "yes" votes. After being elected the Prime Minister appoints the cabinet ministers and announces them to the Riksdag. The new Government takes office at a special council held at the Royal Palace before the Monarch , at which the Speaker of the Riksdag formally announces to
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2352-421: The number of people entitled to vote in each constituency. The remaining 39 adjustment seats are used to correct the deviations from proportional national distribution that may arise when allocating the fixed constituency seats. There is a constraint in the system that means that only a party that has received at least four per cent of the votes in the whole country participates in the distribution of seats. However,
2408-414: The number of seats in the Riksdag was reduced to 349, from 1976 onwards. The Riksdag performs the normal functions of a legislature in a parliamentary democracy . It enacts laws, amends the constitution and appoints a government. In most parliamentary democracies, the head of state commissions a politician to form a government. Under the new Instrument of Government (one of the four fundamental laws of
2464-800: The office and the Auditor General is specified in Chapter 13 of the Regeringsformen , which is part of the Constitution of Sweden . The current Auditor General for the period 2017–2024 is Helena Lindberg. Auditing responsibilities in regards to the finances of the Swedish Government first began in 1530 when King Gustav Vasa set up the Räntekammaren , soon to become the Kammarkollegiet under control of
2520-505: The old town of Stockholm. The Riksdag has its institutional roots in the feudal Riksdag of the Estates , traditionally thought to have first assembled in Arboga in 1435. In 1866, following reforms of the 1809 Instrument of Government , that body was transformed into a bicameral legislature with an upper chamber ( första kammaren ) and a lower chamber ( andra kammaren ). The Swedish word riksdag , in definite form riksdagen ,
2576-548: The population. By an amendment to the 1809 Instrument of Government , the general election of 1970 was the first to a unicameral assembly with 350 seats. The following general election to the unicameral Riksdag in 1973 gave the Government the support of only 175 members, while the opposition could mobilize an equal force of 175 members. In a number of cases a tied vote ensued, and the final decision had to be determined by lot. To avoid any recurrence of this unstable situation,
2632-562: The power to commission a prime minister to the Riksdag , at the nomination of the Speaker of the Riksdag , who following a vote in the Riksdag signs the letter of commission on behalf of the Riksdag. The prime minister is appointed when the majority of the Riksdag does not vote against the nominee, thus making it possible to form minority governments. The prime minister appoints members of the government , including heads of ministries . The government collectively decides on issues after hearing
2688-402: The report of the head of the ministry concerned. At least five members of the government need to be present for a decisional quorum to be made. In practice, reports are written and discussions very rare during formal cabinet meetings. Constitutional functions for the head of state , i.e., the monarch , include heading the cabinet councils (the king plus the members of the government), heading
2744-408: The scope of this list, and any restrictions have to be legislated into the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act previously mentioned. Secrecy is limited to a maximum time of 70 years (when relating to individuals that is 70 years after the person's death). Sweden's switch from elective to hereditary monarchy in 1544 gave reason to Sweden's first law of constitutional character, in form of
2800-403: The text in general, and strengthened several fundamental rights and freedoms. Protection against unfair discrimination was extended to include discrimination based on sexual orientation . The amendment affirmed the responsibility of public authorities to protect children's rights , and to promote the preservation and development of ethnic minorities' culture and language, making special mention of
2856-512: The throne was inherited by the eldest male child of the preceding monarch, was replaced by the principle of absolute primogeniture. This meant that the throne will be inherited by the eldest child without regard to sex. Thereby Princess Victoria , the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, was created heiress apparent to the Swedish throne over her younger brother, until then Crown Prince Carl Philip . In 1593, after 70 years of Reformation and Counter-Reformation in Sweden, adherence to
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#17327655813452912-487: Was abolished and the modern bicameral parliament established. Effectively, however, it did not become a parliament in the modern sense until parliamentary principles were established in the political system in Sweden, in 1917. On 22 June 1866, the Riksdag decided to reconstitute itself as a bicameral legislature, consisting of Första kammaren or the First Chamber, with 155 members and Andra kammaren or
2968-482: Was formed as an administrative authority of the Riksdag (the Swedish parliament) to audit and review all activities of the Riksdag. On 15 December 2000, the Riksdag decided to merge both the Auditor General of the National Swedish Accounting and Audit Bureau and the Parliamentary (Riksdag) Auditors into the present-day Swedish National Audit Office, which took effect on 1 July 2003. The final Auditor General of
3024-515: Was free to choose councillors, but was bound to decide on governmental matters only in presence of the Privy Council, or a subset thereof, and after report of the councillor responsible for the matter in question. The councillor had to countersign a royal decision, unless it was unconstitutional, whereby it gained legal force. The councillor was legally responsible for his advice and was obliged to note his dissension in case he did not agree with
3080-577: Was legitimized by the Riksdag of the Estates in new versions of the Instrument of Government, Swedish Constitution of 1772 and the Union and Security Act from 1789, making the king a "constitutional autocrat". When the ancient Swedish land in 1809 was split into two parts, and the Grand Duchy of Finland was created as an autonomous part of the Russian Empire , this constitutional autocracy
3136-534: Was not formally abolished or replaced. Finland gained independence as a republic in 1917, and its parliament used the Swedish Constitution of 1772 as legal basis to operate until the country adopted its new constitution in 1919. In Sweden, the loss of virtually half the realm led to another bloodless revolution, a new royal dynasty , and the Instrument of Government of 6 June 1809 (as well as
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