Examines the work of the Government

Several ways to examine the work of the Government and public agencies 

Parliamentary control is designed to help the Government and public agencies to work in an efficient manner, in conformity with current legislation, and to help citizens feel that they can trust the way in which the public agencies exercise their powers. This control is also necessary for Sweden’s democratic system of parliamentary government.

Parliamentary government means that the Government must have the support of the Riksdag, or at least be accepted by the Riksdag, for it to be able to govern.

The Instrument of Government, one of Sweden’s fundamental laws, sets out the various methods of control of the government and public agencies.

The Committee on the Constitution examines the government ministers and their handling of government business 

The Committee on the Constitution has the important task of examining that the Government acts in conformity with existing regulations. All members of the Riksdag can report government ministers to the Committee on the Constitution if they consider that a minister has acted incorrectly.

This is how the Committee on the Constitution examines the work of the Government 

The members of the Riksdag address questions to the Government 

The right to address questions to the Government is the most used of all the parliamentary control instruments. Several thousand questions are addressed to the Government each parliamentary year.

By putting questions to the Government, members of the Riksdag can find out what the Government intends to do about a specific matter. At the same time, it is a way for members to draw attention to matters that are important to them.

Interpellations – written questions which are debated 

An interpellation is a question from a member of the Riksdag to a government minister. The members put their questions in writing and receive oral answers in the Chamber of the Riksdag. When a minister has responded to an interpellation in the Chamber, a debate is held on the matter. Usually, interpellation debates are held twice a week in the Riksdag.

Question-and-answer session – on-the-spot questions in the Chamber 

Every Thursday, there is a question-and-answer session in the Riksdag. About once a month, the Prime Minister comes to the Chamber to answer questions. On the other Thursdays, four government ministers attend. This is an opportunity for members of the Riksdag to ask questions without advance notice. 

Written questions without any debate 

Written questions can be posed to the ministers at any time during the year. The time available for the minister to answer depends on when the question is submitted.

Written questions which are submitted before 10 a.m. on Thursday are to be answered no later than 12 noon the following Wednesday. During the summer, however, the ministers have more time to answer. The ministers reply in writing and no debate is held afterwards.

 

Declaration of no confidence – the Riksdag can force a minister to resign 

If it no longer has confidence in the Prime Minister or in a particular minister, the Riksdag can force the Government’s or minister’s resignation by deciding on a declaration of no confidence.

Declaration of no confidence

The Parliamentary Ombudsmen – anyone can lodge a complaint with the Parliamentary Ombudsmen 

The Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsmen is an authority under the Riksdag and it is responsible for part of the Riksdag’s parliamentary control functions.

The Parliamentary Ombudsmen exist to guarantee all peoples’ constitutional right to be lawfully and correctly treated by the public agencies. If you feel that you or anyone else has received incorrect treatment by a public agency, you can lodge a complaint with the Parliamentary Ombudsmen. It is not necessary to be a Swedish citizen or to live in Sweden to lodge a complaint with the Parliamentary Ombudsmen. You can read more about how to lodge a complaint on the website of the Parliamentary Ombudsmen.

The website of the Parliamentary Ombudsmen

The National Audit Office examines central government activities 

The National Audit Office is an authority under the Riksdag. The National Audit Office carries out independent examinations of how and for what purpose central government funds are used.

The overall objective is to help to promote good use of central government resources and an efficient public administration.

The National Audit Office carries out two main types of examination:   

• one is an annual audit where the National Audit Office examines the annual reports of all central government agencies. The Auditor General examines whether the accounting is reliable, whether the accounting records are true and fair, and whether the authorities audited have observed existing laws and regulations; 
• the other type of examination concerns the Government’s and public agencies’ implementation of the policies adopted by the Riksdag, and how efficiently tax revenues are used. The examination may, for example, concern the Swedish Public Employment Service’s various labour market measures, or the functioning of the pension system.

The Auditor General decides what to examine 

The National Audit Office is headed by one Auditor General who is elected by the Riksdag. The Auditor General decides independently what the National Audit Office shall examine, how to go about this, and what conclusions to draw. Published reports and information from ongoing audits are available on the website of the National Audit Office.

The National Audit Office website