Sweden’s Government

(Så styrs Sverige)

Elections
The electorate chooses the members of the Riksdag, county council and municipal council once every four years. The ballot is secret.

You have to be 18 or older in order to vote. To vote for the Riksdag, you must be a Swedish citizen. You can vote for the county council and municipal council if you are a foreign national, but you must have been registered in Sweden for at least three years.

Referendums
Sometimes the municipal council or parliament decides to hold a referendum. This means that the citizens in the municipality or the entire country get to vote on a certain question.

At the latest referendum, in 2003, the Swedes voted on whether to change their money from kronor to euro. The Swedish people said no to the euro.

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Read more about elections, the right to vote and referendums on this website: www.val.se

The parliament

(Riksdagen)

A total of 349 women and men are members of the Riksdag. They represent all parties that received at least 4% of the vote. In 2009 there were seven parties in the Riksdag. There are many more parties outside the Riksdag.

The Riksdag passes laws, monitors how well the Government is doing its job, and appropriates tax revenue.

Learn more about the Riksdag at: www.riksdagen.se

The government

(Regeringen)

The job of the Government is to govern Sweden by making sure that the decisions of the Riksdag are enforced. The Government can also propose new legislation or amendments to existing laws.

The Government Offices of Sweden have a number of ministries that assist the Government on various issues. For instance, the Ministry of Education and Research deals with education issues and the Ministry of Culture deals with cultural, media and sports issues.

Read more on the government’s website: www.regeringen.se

Political parties

(Politiska partier)

There are many big and small political parties outside the Riksdag. You can contact a party directly to ask what they think about a particular issue. The parties are always looking for new members to get involved. That is one way for you to influence what happens in the community.

Learn more about the parties, their policies and how to contact them on their websites.

Sweden is a member of the EU

(Sverige är med i EU)

Sweden is a member of the European Union (EU). Just over half of the European countries are members. The EU was originally a peace project, but its members now collaborate on economic, environmental, agricultural and other matters as well.

The European Parliament passes laws that apply to all member states. So the Riksdag is not the only body whose laws are in effect in Sweden. Elections to the European Parliament are held every five years. That is when Swedes have the opportunity to choose their representatives. The next election is in 2014.

Read more about the EU on this website: eu-information.se