Altogether there are 349 members in the Riksdag who represent eight different parties. Although the Chamber is the heart of the Riksdag, a great deal of the political work is also done inside the party groups and the parliamentary committees.
In the Chamber of the Riksdag, debates are held and decisions are taken.
Photo: Melker Dahlstrand
The 349 members of the Riksdag are elected every fourth year in general elections. Anyone wishing to become a member of the Riksdag must be entitled to vote and be nominated by a political party. Eight political parties are represented in the Riksdag during the 2018-2022 electoral period.
The members of the Riksdag
The members of the Riksdag are not employed by the Riksdag, instead they have been given an assignment by their voters to represent them in the Riksdag for a specific period of time. They therefore receive pay rather than a salary. Members of the Riksdag carry out their assignment 24 hours a day, 12 months a year. The assignment is not limited to their work in the Riksdag, but is also carried out for example in their constituencies, in other places or in other countries.
The members who belong to the same party form a parliamentary party group. All important issues are discussed in the party groups before the members take a final position in committees and in the Chamber.
Debates and decisions in the Chamber
The Chamber is the heart of the Riksdag. This is where the members of the Riksdag debate important issues and where the Riksdag takes its decisions. In the Chamber, debates on various matters and interpellation debates with individual ministers and question-and-answer sessions with the Government are also held.
Debates and decisions in the Chamber
The committees prepare decisions
A great deal of the political work is done inside the party groups and the 15 parliamentary committees. All of the decisions taken by the Riksdag are prepared in the committees. Once a committee has presented its proposal for a decision, it is time for all the members of the Riksdag to take a position in the Chamber.
The Government obtains broad support for its EU policies in the Committee on EU Affairs. The Government consults the Committee on EU Affairs prior to meetings in the Council of Ministers and meetings between the EU heads of state and government in the European Council.