Government of Sweden

Head of Government

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

Prime Minister's Office

• Göran Persson, Prime Minister
• Pär Nuder, Minister for Policy Coordination

Ministry of Justice

• Thomas Bodström, Head of Office and Minister for Justice
• Mona Sahlin, Minister for Democracy, Integration and Equality Issues

Ministry for Foreign Affairs

• Laila Freivalds, Head of Office and Minister for Foreign Affairs.
• Barbro Holmberg, Minister for Migration
• Carin Jämtin, Minister for Development Cooperation

Ministry of Defence

• Leni Björklund, Head of Office and Minister for Defence

Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

• Lars Engqvist, Head of Office and Minister for Health and Social Affairs
• Berit Andnor, Minister for Children and Families
• Morgan Johansson, Minister for Public Health and Social Services

Ministry of Finance

• Bosse Ringholm, Head of Office and Minister of Finance
• Gunnar Lund, Minister for International Economic Affairs and Financial Markets
• Lars-Erik Lövdén, Minister for Local Government and Housing

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

• Ann-Christin Nykvist, Head of Office and Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries

Ministry of Culture

• Marita Ulvskog, Head of Office and Minister for Culture

Ministry of the Environment

• Lena Sommestad, Head of Office and Minister for the Environment

Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications

• Leif Pagrotsky, Head of Office and Minister for Industry and Trade
• Ulrica Messing, Minister for Communications and Regional Policy
• Hans Karlsson, Minister for Employment

Office for Administrative Affairs

Government Agencies

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

• Politics of Sweden
• Parliament of Sweden
• Municipalities of Sweden
• List of Swedish politicians

• Elections in Sweden
• Referenda in Sweden

• Swedish monarch
• Privy Council of Sweden

External links

• The Swedish Government - Official site
• Organization and Ministerial Bios at Official site

Referenced By