Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Basic Laws of Sweden
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
==Instrument of Government== The most important of the fundamental laws is the Instrument of Government ({{langx|sv|regeringsformen, RF}}). It sets out the basic principles for political life in Sweden defining rights and freedoms. The 1974 Instrument of Government grants the power to commission a [[Prime Minister of Sweden|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 of Sweden|government]], including heads of [[Ministry (government department)|ministries]]. The government collectively decides on issues after hearing 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 are very rare during formal cabinet meetings. Constitutional functions for the [[head of state]], i.e., the [[Monarchy of Sweden|monarch]], include heading the cabinet councils (the king plus the members of the government), heading 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. [[Revolution of 1772|Sweden's bloodless coup d'état]] of 1772 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 entity|autonomous]] part of the [[Russian Empire]], this constitutional autocracy 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 (1809)|Instrument of Government]] of 6 June 1809 (as well as 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 of Sweden|Privy Council]]. The king 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 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]].<ref>{{cite journal |first=Leif |last=Lewin |title=Majoritarian and Consensus Democracy: the Swedish Experience |journal=Scandinavian Political Studies |volume=21 |issue=3 |date=1 May 2007 |pages=195–206 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-9477.1998.tb00012.x|citeseerx=10.1.1.734.6025 }}</ref> After over fifty years of ''de facto'' parliamentarism,{{explain|date=April 2020}} it was written into the Instrument of Government of 1974, which, although technically adherent to [[constitutional monarchy]], created the [[Government of Sweden]] in its present constitutional form.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Lindkvist|first1=T|title=A Concise History of Sweden from the Viking Age to the Present|last2=Sjöberg|first2=M|last3=Hedenborg|first3=S|last4=Kvarnström|first4=L|publisher=Studentlitteratur|year=2019|isbn=978-91-44-10497-3|location=Lund|pages=191}}</ref> ===Amendment of 2009=== {{expand section|Privacy protections; effects on judicial review, elections, and municipalities|date=November 2012}} In 2009, the Riksdag approved Proposition 2009/10:80, "A Reformed Constitution" ({{langx|sv|En reformerad grundlag}}), making substantial amendments to the Instrument of Government, and related acts.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.government.se/sb/d/12711/a/138927 |title = Amendments to the Constitution of Sweden |year = 2010 |publisher = [[Ministry of Justice (Sweden)|Ministry of Justice]] |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130112221428/http://www.government.se/sb/d/12711/a/138927 |archive-date = 2013-01-12 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Swedish parliament votes in new constitution | url = http://www.thelocal.se/30410/20101124/ | newspaper = [[The Local]] | date = 24 November 2010 }}</ref> The amendment modernized and simplified 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 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.
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)