How Sweden is governed

This page is translated from Swedish and has not been reviewed by a native speaker. The Swedish version is the original.

This is one of the chapters that generates the most questions, because it contains many concrete facts: numbers, agency names, and a clear division of responsibility. The chapter covers pages 12–13.

The core principle to hold onto: politicians decide, agencies carry it out.

Three levels — and the EU

Political responsibility is divided across three levels:

National level: the state
Regional level: the regions
Municipal level: the municipalities

On top of that, Sweden is affected by decisions made in the European Union.

The state: parliament, government, agencies, courts

Sweden is a parliamentary representative democracy. This means citizens vote in general elections and choose members of parliament, who in turn decide on laws and the state budget.

The Riksdag (parliament) has 349 members, elected every four years. They represent different parties and different parts of the country, and they decide on laws and how the state’s money is used. The Riksdag also elects the prime minister. The Riksdag building is in Stockholm.

The government is led by the prime minister, who appoints the ministers. Every autumn the government submits a proposal to the Riksdag on the state’s revenues and expenditures — the budget bill. The budget shows what policy the government wants to pursue.

Parties that don’t support the government are called the opposition. Their job is to scrutinize the government’s work and put forward alternative policy. Before the Riksdag votes, the governing parties and the opposition debate the proposals.

The agencies

The government runs the country with the help of state agencies, and there are several hundred of them. Examples mentioned in the material are the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen), the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan), Migrationsverket, the Swedish Police Authority (Polismyndigheten), and the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket). For example, it’s Försäkringskassan that decides when someone applies for parental benefit.

Agencies are required to follow the law and the government’s instructions. Two special agencies check that the others do things correctly: the Parliamentary Ombudsman (JO) and the Chancellor of Justice (JK).

The regions: 21 of them

The regions are governed by politicians elected by residents in the regional election, and decisions are made in the regional council (regionfullmäktige).

The regions’ main responsibility is healthcare. They’re also responsible for public transport — buses, trams, and metros — and for the county museums.

The municipalities: 290 of them

Municipalities are governed by politicians elected in the municipal election, and decisions are made in the municipal council (kommunfullmäktige). Most municipal politicians have regular jobs and handle politics in their spare time.

Under the council there are committees (nämnder) responsible for different areas — the culture committee for libraries, the education committee for schools. It’s the municipal council that appoints the members of the committees.

Municipalities are responsible for much of the service people notice in everyday life: water and sewage, care for the elderly and children, snow removal, park maintenance, and adult education. The material notes that municipal decisions therefore often affect people’s daily lives more directly than decisions made by the Riksdag.

Two extremes worth remembering: the largest municipality is Stockholm, with almost a million residents; the smallest is Dorotea in Västerbotten County, with fewer than 3,000.

Form of government: constitutional monarchy

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is a king or queen without political power — they serve as a symbol of Sweden, make state visits to other countries, and receive heads of state visiting Sweden.

Sweden’s king is Carl XVI Gustaf. His firstborn daughter Victoria is Crown Princess, and after her comes her daughter Estelle.

What’s easy to mix up

Three pairs that are often confused:

Riksdag and government. The Riksdag passes laws and decides the budget; the government runs the country and puts forward proposals.
Region and municipality. The region handles healthcare and public transport; the municipality handles schools, care, and local services.
Politicians and agencies. Politicians make the decisions, agencies carry them out.