The office of Speaker is the highest position to which a person can be elected in Sweden. Formally, the Speaker ranks after the Head of State – the King – but before the Prime Minister. As the foremost representative of the Riksdag, the Speaker often represents the Riksdag in various national and international contexts. When the Riksdag meets for the first time after a parliamentary election, the members of the Riksdag elect the member among them who will be Speaker.
The Speaker is politically impartial and is not involved in the political work of the Riksdag. The Speaker is on leave of absence from his duties as a member of the Riksdag, and does not participate in the work of the committees or in debates and votes in the Chamber. Instead, he has a substitute from his party and constituency to perform these duties.
The tasks of the Speaker can be divided into three roughly equal parts.
- Parliamentary duties: The Speaker chairs the meetings of the Chamber and plans the work of the Riksdag. The Speaker consults the party group leaders on many issues, and holds regular meetings with the committee chairs and presiding officers of the Riksdag delegations to international assemblies.
- Administration: The Speaker chairs the Riksdag Board whose primary task is to lead the authority the Riksdag Administration, which supports the work of the Riksdag and members of the Riksdag.
- Representative duties: The Speaker represents the Riksdag and receives many visits, including international guests such as Presidents, Speakers and Prime Ministers. The Speaker also travels in both Sweden and abroad.
In addition, the Speaker plays an important role when a new government is formed. According to the Instrument of Government, the Speaker has the role of proposing a candidate for Prime Minister to the Riksdag. The Speaker’s duties also include being chair of the War Delegation and a member of the Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs.
Election of the Speaker
When the Riksdag meets for the first time after the parliamentary elections, the members have the task of deciding which member is to be the new Speaker of the Riksdag and which three members are to be the Deputy Speakers. The Speakers are all elected individually in the following order: Speaker, First Deputy Speaker, Second Deputy Speaker, Third Deputy Speaker. They are elected for one electoral period at a time. It is the party groups in the Riksdag that nominate candidates for the various positions.
During the period up to the following parliamentary election, the Speaker cannot be removed by a decision of the Riksdag.
There are no legal provisions that lay down what party the Speaker is to be appointed from. During the period of centre-right governments in 1976–82, the Speaker was a Social Democrat and thus a representative of the largest party overall during that period. Since 1982, the Speaker has been chosen from the largest party in the Riksdag majority, that is, the party or coalition of parties forming the government. For the electoral period starting in 2018, Andreas Norlén was elected Speaker. He was nominated by the Riksdag's next largest party.
The established practice for the election of the Deputy Speakers up until 2018 was that they were elected in relation to the size of their parties in the Riksdag. Members of the party from which the Speaker is chosen never obtain any of the posts of Deputy Speaker. The principles for the election of the Deputy Speakers are not laid down in law either.
If there is just one candidate
If there is just one candidate for the position of Speaker, the election shall take place by acclamation. This means that the members of the Riksdag in the Chamber answer by calling out yes or no to the proposal. The same applies to the election of the three Deputy Speakers. This rule applies from 1 September 2018. Previously, the members could demand a vote by secret ballot, even if there was just one candidate, but this is no longer possible with the new rule.
If there are several candidates
If more than one candidate has been nominated to the position of Speaker, the election can be held by secret ballot, if so requested by any of the members of the Riksdag. This means that the members can vote for the nominated candidate of their choice without it being revealed who they have voted for.
If the election of the Speaker is held by secret ballot, the candidate receiving more than half of the votes is elected. If no candidate receives that many votes, another vote is held. If no candidate receives more than half of the votes in the second vote, a third vote is held between the two candidates with the greatest number of votes in the second vote. The candidate receiving the greatest number of votes in this round is then elected.
Almost the same rules apply to the election of the three Deputy Speakers. The difference is that there can be at most two votes when electing a Deputy Speaker.
The elections of the Speaker and Deputy Speakers are held by the oldest-serving member of those present in the Chamber.
