 |
|
Parliament (Riksdag) composition
as on 17 September 2006
|
 |
|
|
The Moderate Party (M) |
97 |
|
|
Christian Democrats (KD) |
24 |
|
Total |
349 |
|
Political System
Sweden is a parliamentary democracy with a Monarchy.
Head of State
The King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf (since 1973), exerts no political power and takes no part in politics. He represents the nation. According to the Constitution, he is the Head of State. In this capacity he performs only ceremonial duties and functions as the official representative of Sweden. One of these official duties is to open the annual session of Parliament in September. He does not take part in the deliberations of the Cabinet, nor does he have to sign any Government decisions. His earlier role in selecting a new Prime Minister has been taken over by the Speaker of the House.
In 1979, the Act of Succession was amended in order to give males and females equal rights to the throne. As from 1980, this right belongs to the first-born, regardless of gender.
Government
Fredrik Reinfeldt (Moderaterna - The Moderate Party, EPP) became Prime Minister on 5 Ocotober 2006 after a significant victory of the centre-right coalition at the last general elections in September 2006.
Political power rests with the Cabinet and the party or parties it represents. There are 23 ministers in the Cabinet.
In many cases, Ministers are Members of Parliament, retaining their seats in the Parliament while serving in the Cabinet. A substitute takes over the parliamentary duties of any MP who has been appointed to the Cabinet, and this continues as long as the MP remains in the Cabinet. In other words, a Cabinet Minister has to give up his right to vote in Parliament. All Ministers are, however, entitled to take part in parliamentary debates.
According to the Constitution, the formal power of governmental decision rests with the Cabinet, not with the Monarch. If the Cabinet resigns, the Speaker of Parliament is required to confer with the leaders of the parliamentary parties and the Deputy Speakers before proposing a new Prime Minister. The Speaker thereupon appoints the Prime Minister, who in turn appoints all other Cabinet Ministers. The same applies if Parliament declares that the Prime Minister has lost its confidence. Other Cabinet Ministers may be dismissed either by the Prime Minister or by Parliament through a vote of no confidence.
Legislature
Since 1971, Sweden has had a unicameral Parliament (Riksdag). A constitutional amendment adopted in 1968-69 abolished the bicameral system which had existed since 1866. The whole Parliament is constituted by direct elections based on a suffrage that comprises all Swedes aged 18 or over, who are or have been resident in Sweden.
Parliament has 349 members, who serve four-year terms. All elections have a proportional representation system. The electoral system is designed to ensure a distribution of seats between the parties in proportion to the votes cast for them nationally. Proportional fairness is not to be primarily achieved in each electoral district but in the whole country regarded as a single electoral district. Hence, in addition to 310 fixed electoral district seats, 39 seats are distributed "at large" so as to obtain a fair, nationally proportional result. There is one exception to the rule on complete national proportionality: a quota rule intended to prevent very small parties from gaining representation in Parliament. A party must thus gain at least 4% of the national vote to qualify for representation.
The unicameral Parliament has a presidium consisting of the Speaker and three Deputy Speakers. Each newly-elected Parliament appoints at least fifteen standing committees for its four-year term. One of those is on the Constitution, another one deals with budgeting and finance, a third one is specialised in taxes. All the other bodies largely correspond to the division of ministries. Additional committees may be constituted while Parliament is in session.
Posts in the parliamentary presidium, as well as the chairmanship of committees, are according to free agreement among the parties.
All matters dealt with in committee are reported to Parliament in a plenary session.
Cabinet members are expected to defend their bills in the plenary sessions.
The MPs have official substitutes. The substitute takes over the parliamentary duties of any MP who is a Cabinet Minister or Speaker or who is absent for a month or longer. Because the Speaker has a substitute, he or she cannot (among other things) vote in Parliament. As co-ordinator of the Parliament's work, the Speaker is expected to stand above party politics.
|
|
Political System
