Cabinet of Sweden
Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a representative democracy based on a parliamentary system. The affairs of Government are decided by a Cabinet of Ministers, which is lead by a Prime Minister. The Cabinet and the Prime Minister are responsible for their actions to the Parliament of Sweden.
Head of Government
Main article: Prime Minister of Sweden
- Head of Government: Prime Minister Göran Persson (since March 21, 1996)
- Cabinet: Ministers are appointed by the Prime Minister and confirmed by Parliament
- Elections: The Prime Minister is first appointed by the Speaker of Parliament and then confirmed (with the cabinet ministers) by Parliament
- Election results: Göran Persson is elected Prime Minister forming a Social Democrat minority government. After the general elections in 2002 the Social Democrat Government continues to depend on the Left Party and the Green Party to achieve a majority in Parliament.
Cabinet Government
As of the Cabinet reshuffle effective on October 10, 2003, in wake of the murder of Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anna Lindh, the Cabinet has 22 Ministers including the Prime Minister.
Since the last organizational change in 1998 the Government Offices has, apart from the Prime Minister's Office and an Office for Administrative Affairs, ten Ministries.
The Prime Minister leads the work of the Cabinet and is the official Head of Government. On occasion there has been appointed Deputy Prime Ministers, but when none such exist the Minister with the most seniority in Cabinet, is the designate Deputy Prime Minister. Ten of the Cabinet Ministers are also Heads of Office for their respective Ministries.
Government Offices
From October 10, 2003:
Prime Minister's Office
Ministry of Justice
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Health and Social Affairs
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Education and Science
- Thomas Östros, Head of Office and Minister for Education and Science
- Lena Hallengren, Minister for Pre-School Education, Youth Affairs and Adult Learning
Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
Ministry of Culture
Ministry of the Environment
Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications
Office for Administrative Affairs
The Office for Administrative Affairs, or Statskontoret, is staffed and led by civil servants. The Permanent Secretary, currently Gunnar Holmgren, is not a member of government.
Government Agencies
See also: Government Agencies in Sweden
The Ministries in Sweden are relatively small and merely policy-making organizations, relying on Government Agencies who independently carry out Government Policy. A Government Agency is constituted under the authority of a Ministry, but the Ministry is only allowed to influence the Agency by making policy. The Minister in charge is furthermore prohibited from interfering with the day-to-day operation and the outcome in individual cases.
An exception to this are the Legations and Embassies in foreign countries, which are under the direct authority and integrated with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
See also
External links
Referenced By
Act of Union and Security | Cabinet | Cabinet (government) | Cabinet Government | Constitution of Sweden | Council of Ministers | County Administrative Boards of Sweden | Freedom of the Press Act (1766) | Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression (1991) | Grundlagen | Instrument of Government (1634) | Instrument of Government (1721) | Instrument of Government (1772) | Instrument of Government (1809) | Instrument of Government (1974) | List of ministers | Minister | Swedish Act of Succession | Swedish Constitution | Swedish constitution of 1809
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