Previous formations of government and prime ministers
Since 1876, Sweden has had a total of 35 prime ministers and 53 governments. Below is a list of Sweden's governments and the periods during which they were in power.
Formation of government in recent years
Following an election, the Riksdag holds a vote on its support for the prime minister. The vote on the prime minister became compulsory following an amendment to the Instrument of Government in 2011, and the purpose is to show whether the government has sufficient support in a newly-elected Riksdag. Below you will find a description of the latest formations of government, as well as the voting records of the votes on the prime minister and declarations of no confidence in the prime minister.
After the elections on 11 September 2022, Magdalena Andersson (Social Democratic Party) formally requested to resign as Prime Minister. After Magdalena Andersson submitted her request to the Speaker Andreas Norlén on 15 September, the Speaker commenced the task of preparing a proposal for a new prime minister that could be approved by the Riksdag. On 19 September, the Speaker gave Ulf Kristersson (Moderate Party) the task of exploring the possibilities of forming a government. On 17 October, the Riksdag approved the Speaker’s proposal to appoint Ulf Kristersson (Moderate Party) as Prime Minister. Photo: Anders Löwdin
On 10 November 2021, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (Social Democratic Party) formally requested to resign as Prime Minister. The Speaker Andreas Norlén then commenced the task of preparing a proposal for a new prime minister that could be approved by the Riksdag. On 29 November, the Speaker proposed that the Riksdag approve Magdalena Andersson (Social Democratic Party) as Prime Minister who, after the Riksdag’s approval, took office as Prime Minister on 30 November. The process of forming a government took a total of 20 days from Stefan Löfven's request to resign to the day that Magdalena Andersson took office. Photo: Anders Löwdin
On 17 June 2021, 36 members of the Riksdag called for a motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (Social Democratic Party). On 21 June 2021, the Riksdag voted in favour of a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister and on 28 June Stefan Löfven submitted a request for resignation from his duties as Prime Minister.
On 29 June, the Speaker commenced the task of preparing a proposal for a prime minister for the Riksdag to take a stand on. On Monday 5 July, the Speaker Andreas Norlén proposed Stefan Löfven as Prime Minister again and on Wednesday 7 July the Riksdag approved the proposal. Photo: The Riksdag Administration
Vote of no confidence on 21 June 2021 (pdf, 361 kB) (in Swedish)
After the 2018 elections, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (Social Democratic Party) chose to remain in office. At the vote on the prime minister in the Riksdag on 25 September, more than half of the members of the Riksdag voted against Stefan Löfven as Prime Minister and he resigned. After 134 days however, Stefan Löfven was approved as Prime Minister once again, after various alternatives had failed to gain sufficient support in the Riksdag.
The Speaker's task of proposing a new prime minister and the votes in the Chamber are described in a special report:
Memorandum on the process of forming a government and the change of government after the elections on 9 September 2018 (pdf, 559 kB) (in Swedish)
Three votes on the Speaker’s proposal for a new prime minister were held after the elections in September 2018:
Photo: Anders Löwdin
After the elections on 15 September, Fredrik Reinfeldt formally requested to resign as Prime Minister. The Speaker at the time Per Westerberg gave Stefan Löfven (Social Democratic Party) the task of exploring the possibilities of forming a government. After Urban Ahlin was elected as the new Speaker, he proposed Stefan Löfven as the new Prime Minister. On 2 October, the Riksdag approved the Speaker’s proposal to appoint Stefan Löfven as Prime Minister. Photo: Melker Dahlstrand
All government and prime ministers since 1876
List of the governments that have been in power since 1876, when the modern position of prime minister was established.
Party designations: LC = Liberal Coalition Party, CP = Conservative Party (including predecessors), S = Social Democratic Workers’ Party, FM = Free-Minded Liberal Party, LP = Sweden’s Liberal Party, AP = Agrarian Party, C = Centre Party, M = Moderate Party, Chr = Christian Democrats, Grn = Green Party, L = Liberal Party
- de Geer the Elder, 1876–1880
- Posse, 1880–1883
- Thyselius, 1883–1884
- Themptander, 1884–1888
- Bildt the Elder, 1888–1889
- Åkerhielm, 1889–1891
- Boström I, 1891–1900
- von Otter, 1900–1902
- Boström II, 1902–1905
- Ramstedt, 1905
- Lundeberg, 1905
- Staaff I, LC, 1905–1906
- Lindman I, CP, 1906–1911
- Staaff II, LC, 1911–1914
- Hammarskjöld, 1914–1917
- Swartz, CP, 1917
- Edén, LC+S, 1917–1920
- Branting I, S, 1920
- de Geer the Younger, 1920–1921
- von Sydow, 1921
- Branting II, S, 1921–1923
- Trygger, CP, 1923–1924
- Branting III, S, 1924–1925
- Sandler, S, 1925–1926
- Ekman I, FM+LP, 1926–1928
- Lindman II, CP, 1928–1930
- Ekman II, FM, 1930–1932
- Hamrin, FM, 1932
- Hansson I, S, 1932–1936
- Pehrsson-Bramstorp, AP, 1936
- Hansson II, S+AP, 1936–1939
- Hansson III, S+AP+CP+L, 1939–1945
- Hansson IV, S, 1945–1946
- Erlander I, S, 1946–1951
- Erlander II, S+AP, 1951–1957
- Erlander III, S, 1957–1969
- Palme I, S, 1969–1976
- Fälldin I, C+M+L, 1976–1978
- Ullsten, L, 1978–1979
- Fälldin II, C+M+L, 1979–1981
- Fälldin III, C+L, 1981–1982
- Palme II, S, 1982–1986
- Carlsson I, S, 1986–1990
- Carlsson II, S, 1990–1991
- Bildt the Younger, M+L+C+Chr, 1991–1994
- Carlsson III, S, 1994–1996
- Persson, S, 1996–2006
- Reinfeldt, M+L+C+Chr, 2006–2014
- Löfven I, S+Grn, 2014–2018
- Löfven II, S+Grn, 2019–2021
- Löfven III, S+Grn, 2021
- Andersson, S, 2021–2022 (two votes on the prime minister were held in the Riksdag)
- Kristersson, M+Chr+L, 2022–
A list of all the declarations of no confidence
Here is a list of all the declarations of no confidence.
A list of all the declarations of no confidence on the page Examines the work of the Government