Democracy and Governance

(Demokrati och styre)

Sweden is a democracy, which means that all power comes from the people, who decide which politicians will govern.

This is where you can find out about how democracy works and the rights and obligations that you have as an inhabitant of Sweden. The section also describes the Swedish judicial system.

Contents at a Glance

(Innehåll i korthet)

• Sweden is a democracy, and the citizens decide which politicians will govern the country.
• The citizens vote for politicians in general elections every four years.
• The Swedish parliament and the European Union decide which laws Sweden must follow.
• Sweden has signed most of the United Nations’ documents and agreements about human rights.
• If you have been discriminated against, you can notify the Equality Ombudsman (DO).
• According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, all children have the same rights and no child may be discriminated against.
• In an emergency, dial 112 for assistance from the police.
• If you need to talk to the police, dial 11414.