Forming a government

When a new government is to be formed, the Speaker of the Riksdag prepares a proposal for prime minister, which is then voted on by the Riksdag. The candidate who is chosen as prime minister subsequently appoints the ministers who will make up the government.

The government governs Sweden by implementing the Riksdag's decisions, and presenting proposals for new legislation and for amendments to existing laws. The government must be tolerated by the Riksdag. If the government loses the support of the Riksdag, it can be forced to resign. When a prime minister resigns, the entire government also resigns.

The government may also be reshuffled considerably without it being a question of forming a new government. The prime minister may replace ministers, transfer ministers and increase or decrease the number of ministers without consulting the Riksdag.

Various reasons for forming a new government

A government may remain in office for as long as it has sufficient support in the Riksdag. There are several reasons why a government may need to resign and a new government be formed.

The composition of the government changes after a general election

The governing party, or a coalition of several parties, may lose part of its support in the Riksdag after a general election. In such a situation, the prime minister can choose to resign voluntarily, or may be forced to resign following the vote on the prime minister that is held in the Riksdag following an election. This is the most common reason for a government resigning.

If the prime minister chooses to resign after an election, he or she approaches the Speaker of the Riksdag with a request to step down from office.  Once the Speaker has approved the application, it is the Speaker’s task to prepare a proposal for a new prime minister.

If the prime minister chooses to remain in power after an election, a vote on the prime minister shall be held two weeks at the latest after the newly elected Riksdag has been convened. If more than half of the members of the Riksdag vote no to the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister must resign. Otherwise, the Prime Minister may remain in office. Since 2014, it has been compulsory to hold a vote on the prime minister following a parliamentary election.

The Riksdag can vote on a declaration of no confidence

At least 35 members of the Riksdag can any time request a declaration of no confidence directed towards a prime minister and thus also the government. This is known as voting on a declaration of no confidence. If at least half the total number of members, that is at least 175, vote in favour of a declaration of no confidence, the Government must resign or announce an extraordinary election.

Declaration of no confidence in the Riksdag

The Government may declare the matter a “cabinet issue”, that is a government may feel compelled to resign after losing an important vote in the Riksdag. Occasionally, a government has deliberately chosen to give the Riksdag an ultimatum by declaring that it will resign if voted down on a specific matter. This way of requesting a vote of confidence is known as declaring the matter a “cabinet issue”.

Internal tensions within the government

Internal problems and tensions can lead a prime minister, and thus the whole Government, to resign. This applies especially to coalition government, consisting of ministers from more than one party.

A prime minister may resign for personal reasons

An incumbent prime minister may also choose to resign for personal reasons, or other reasons not directly related to an election defeat or insufficient support in the Riksdag.

Forming a government

When a government resigns, it is the Speaker that gives his or her consent to the resignation of the prime minister and the other ministers.

It is then the Speaker's task to prepare a proposal for a new prime minister. The Speaker then holds talks with the parties represented in the Riksdag to find out which candidate has the greatest support among the parties and could therefore become Sweden's next prime minister and form a government that has sufficient confidence in the Riksdag.

The rules of the Instrument of Government state that the present Government should remain in place as a caretaker government. A caretaker government manages current issues but does not according to practice take political initiatives.

The Speaker may assign the task of exploring the possibilities of forming a government

Once the Speaker has spoken to all the party leaders, he or she can give the task of exploring the possibilities of forming a government to one of them. How the procedure for the task is organised and how much time it is to take is decided by the incumbent Speaker. The task may, for example, involve a candidate for prime minister having a certain time at his or her disposal to investigate which Riksdag parties support him or her in forming a government.

After an election, the resigning Speaker starts the task

The Riksdag elects a Speaker after each parliamentary election. Around two weeks after an election, the newly elected MPs meet in the Chamber for the first time. After the roll-call of the members has been held, the Riksdag has to vote on who is to become Speaker. If the Riksdag elects a new Speaker, it is the newly elected Speaker that presents a proposal for a new prime minister to the Riksdag. In order not to lose time, however, the resigning Speaker prepares the change of government by starting talks with the party leaders immediately after a government has resigned. The resigning Speaker then hands over the task of forming a government to the new Speaker.

The Speaker proposes a candidate for prime minister

When the Speaker has a proposal for a new prime minister and has consulted the Deputy Speakers, the proposal is presented in the Chamber of the Riksdag and is tabled for the first time. When the Speaker submits his or her proposal for a new prime minister, he or she states which parties should be included in the Government. The purpose is to find the candidate for prime minister with the greatest chance of forming a government with sufficient support in the Riksdag.

The tasks of the Speaker

The Riksdag votes on the proposal for prime minister

The Speaker's proposal for prime minister is tabled a second time and is then examined by the members of the Riksdag in the Chamber no later than four days after the proposal was presented. If more than half of the members of the Riksdag, that is at least 175 members, vote against the proposal, it is not passed. Otherwise, it is approved.

The Speaker can repeat this process four times

If a proposal for a candidate for prime minister does not obtain enough support, the Speaker must speak with the party leaders again, confer with the Deputy Speakers, and then present a new proposal. The Speaker has four opportunities to do this. If no proposal for a new prime minister obtains sufficient support in the Riksdag, extraordinary elections must be held within three months. In such a situation, the Speaker has to decide the date of the election in consultation with the Election Authority.

The prime minister appoints the government ministers

It is the prime minister who decides which ministers will make up the government. As soon as possible after the prime minister's appointment, he or she must inform the Riksdag of the names of the ministers he or she has appointed.

The prime minister delivers a statement of government policy

When the newly elected Riksdag has been convened and a new prime minister has been appointed, the prime minister delivers a statement of government policy to the Riksdag. In this statement, the prime minister presents an outline of the government's intended policies.

Change of government at a Council of State

The formal change of government takes place at a Council of State at the Royal Palace. This is a government meeting which is chaired by the head of state, that is the ruling king or queen. During the meeting, the Speaker gives an account of the proposal and the Riksdag's decision. The head of state then announces that a change of government has taken place.

A government may be reshuffled without the Riksdag's involvement

Several ministers in a government may be replaced without it being a question of forming a new government.  The prime minister may transfer ministers, increase or decrease the number of ministers or replace ministers without the Riksdag's involvement. If the prime minister chooses to resign, however, the whole government must also resign.