Prime Minister of Sweden

The Prime Minister or statsminister is the head of Government in Sweden. Before 1876, when the office of Prime Minister was instituted, Sweden did not have a formal head of Government. The architect behind the new Riksdag of 1866, Louis De Geer became the first Prime Minister, but ironically it had been the absence of his informal leadership in the Government that had brought about the reform.

Constitutional Reform

Until 1973 the Government authority had been exercised through the Privy Council when constitutional reform provided a new Instrument of Government which formally established the parliamentary principles and created a Cabinet Government.

Related Topics:
1973 - Privy Council - Constitution - Instrument of Government - Parliament

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Following a general election, the Speaker of the Riksdag holds consultations with the party leaders and appoints a Prime Minister-designate, who then submits a list of ministers for approval to the Parliament. If the list is approved they form a Cabinet Government under the leadership of the Prime Minister. Single ministers can be forced to resign by a vote of no confidence by Parliament, but if the Prime Minister is forced to resign the entire cabinet falls and the process starts over.

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