It is the Riksdag that decides who becomes the Prime Minister.
The Speaker presents a proposal for Prime Minister to the Riksdag and states at the same time which parties will make up the Government. The Riksdag then takes a decision by holding a vote on the proposal. If more than half of the members of the Riksdag, that is at least 175 members, vote against the proposal, it is rejected. Otherwise it is approved.
When the Speaker has presented a proposal for Prime Minister, the members of the Riksdag must vote on the proposal within four days.
It is the Prime Minister who decides which ministers will be included in the government.
In the period between a government resigning and a new government coming into office, the old government remains in power in order to manage the day-to-day running of the country. This is known as a caretaker government.
In principle, a caretaker government has the same powers as an ordinary government, but it cannot call an extraordinary election. The practice is that it normally does not take any new political initiatives.
No, a caretaker government cannot resign in the traditional sense. However, it may be necessary to replace certain ministers if the caretaker government is in office for a long time.
If a Prime Minister resigns or loses a vote on the Prime Minister after an election, the Speaker must present a new proposal for Prime Minister. Before presenting a proposal, the Speaker talks to the Deputy Speakers and all the party leaders. The Speaker holds interview rounds with each of the party leaders, and these are often referred to in Swedish as the “Speaker’s rounds”.
When the Speaker has interviewed all the party leaders as part of the process of forming a government, he or she may assign one of them the task of exploring the possibilities of forming a government. The party leader then explores his or her opportunities for gaining support as Prime Minister and being able to form a government.
It is the Speaker who decides how long a party leader has in which to explore the possibilities of forming a government. The Speaker can also decide to extend the task if he or she considers that more time is needed.
After the Speaker’s interview rounds with each of the party leaders (“Speaker’s round”), the Speaker must present a proposal to the Riksdag regarding the next stage in the formation of a new government. This may mean that the Speaker proposes a candidate for Prime Minister, but it may also mean that the Speaker proposes a new round of interviews with the party leaders.
There are no rules on any time limit. The Speaker can present a total of four proposals for prime minister. If none of the proposals is approved, an extraordinary election must be held within three months after the fourth vote in the Riksdag.
The Budget Bill for 2027 must be presented by 12 November at the latest. If a new government has not been appointed by then, the Budget Bill is presented by a caretaker government. The Riksdag then holds a vote on the budget.
An incumbent government can decide to call an extraordinary election to the Riksdag in between general (ordinary) elections. The extraordinary election must then be held within three months of the decision. However, a decision to call an extraordinary election may not be made by a caretaker government. An extraordinary election does not change the order of the ordinary elections. These take place every four years in September.
An extraordinary election is held if the Speaker fails four times to gain the Riksdag’s approval of a proposal for new Prime Minister. The election must be held within three months of the Riksdag’s decision. The Speaker determines the date of the election after consulting the Election Authority.
Sweden has only held one extraordinary election. This was an election to the former Second Chamber on 1 June 1958. The most important issue then was the national supplementary pension (ATP).
The next ordinary elections to the Riksdag (general elections) will take place on 8 September 2030.
