Prime Minister of Sweden

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The Prime Minister (Swedish: statsminister, literally "Minister of State") is the head of government in Sweden. Before 1876, when the office of Prime Minister was instituted, Sweden did not have a formal head of government. The architect behind the new parliament of 1866, Louis De Geer became the first Prime Minister, but ironically it had been the absence of his informal leadership in the government that had brought about the reform. The current Prime Minister of Sweden is Fredrik Reinfeldt, leader of the Moderate Party.

Contents

[edit] History

Before 1876, when the office of Prime Minister was instituted, Sweden did not have a formal head of government. Historically, the most senior member of the Royal Privy Council (during the absolute rule this was the Lord High Chancellor) had some similarities to the modern office of a head of government. This was most evident during the so called Age of Liberty from 1718 to 1772, when powers of the monarch were greatly reduced and the President of the Privy Council became the most powerful political figure in Sweden.

Image:Louis De Geer (1818-1896) portraited in 1884 by Elis Jacobson.jpg
Louis De Geer (1818-1896), the first Prime Minister of Sweden.

At the adoption of the new constitution of 1809, the two offices of Prime Minister for Justice (justitiestatsminister) and Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs (utrikesstatsminister) were created. However, their roles were merely that of a head of respective ministry. When the office proper of Prime Minister was created in 1876, the Prime Minister for Justice was demoted to Minister for Justice (justitieminister), while the Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs was demoted to Minister for Foreign Affairs (utrikesminister). Unlike the Minister for Justice, the Minister for Foreign Affairs did continue to be styled as "Excellency", an honour shared only with the Prime Minister.

Until 1973 the government authority had been exercised through the Privy Council when constitutional reform provided a new Instrument of Government which formally established the parliamentary system and created a cabinet government.

[edit] The office

See also: Politics of Sweden

Whenever a Prime Minister resigns, dies, or is forced from office by the Riksdag, the Speaker of the Riksdag asks him (or his deputy) to keep the government as a caretaker government until a successor has been elected. The speaker then holds consultations with the party leaders and appoints a Prime Minister-designate, who is submitted for approval to the Riksdag. If the Prime Minister-designate is approved he or she chooses which and how many members (ministers) are to be included in his or her government.[1]

With the exception of the Prime Minister, ministers of the government do not need the approval of the Riksdag but can be forced to resign by a vote of no confidence. If the Prime Minister is forced by a vote of no confidence to resign the entire cabinet falls and the process of electing a Prime minister starts over. The Prime Minister can dissolve the parliament even after receiving a vote of no confidence except the first three months after an election.

The Swedish constitution requires that the Prime Minister appoints one of the ministers in the cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister, in case the Prime Minister for some reason is prevented from performing his or her duties. However, if a Deputy Prime Minister is absent or hasn't been appointed, the minister in the cabinet who has served the longest time – and if there are several with equal experience, the one who is oldest – takes over as acting head of government (see Swedish governmental line of succession for the present governmental line of succession).

[edit] Official residences

The government offices, including the Prime Minister's office, is located at Rosenbad in central Stockholm, straight across the water from Helgeandsholmen with the parliament building.

In 1991 the Sager House (or the "Sager Palace" as it was previously called) was acquired, and since 1995 it has served as the private residence of the Prime Minister. The Sager House is located adjacent to Rosenbad and the parliament building.

Harpsund, a manor house in Flen Municipality, Södermanland County, has served as a country residence for the Prime Minister since 1953. The manor is also frequently used for governmental conferences and informal summits between the government, industry and organizations in Sweden.

[edit] Salary

The salaries of the cabinet ministers, including the Prime Minister, is decided by and is the subject of annual review by the Statsrådsarvodesnämnden ("Cabinet Ministers' Salary Conmittee") of the Swedish parliament. Since 1 July 2007, the Prime Minister's monthly salary is SEK126,000 (~US$20,000) or SEK1,512,000 (~US$236,000) per year.[2] This is comparable to the £127,334 (~US$250,000) annual salary of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom or the US$400,000 annual salary of the President of the United States.

[edit] List of officeholders

Color key:

     Swedish Social Democratic Party      Moderate Party & conservatives      Centre Party      Liberal People's Party & liberals      Christian Democrats      Lantmanna Party      Independent/unaffiliated

Prime Minister Took office Left office Party Cabinet(s)
De Geer, Louis 1Louis De Geer père 1876-03-2020 March 1876 1880-04-1919 April 1880 0Independent De Geer (1818-1896)
Posse, ArvidArvid Posse 1880-04-1919 April 1880 1883-06-1613 June 1883 Lantmanna Party Posse
Thyselius, Carl JohanCarl Johan Thyselius 1883-06-1313 June 1883 1884-05-1616 May 1884 0Independent Thyselius
Themptander, RobertRobert Themptander 1884-05-1616 May 1884 1888-02-066 February 1888 0Independent Themptander
Bildt, GillisGillis Bildt 1888-02-066 February 1888 1889-10-1212 October 1889 0Independent G. Bildt
Åkerhielm, GustafGustaf Åkerhielm 1889-10-1212 October 1889 1891-07-1010 July 1891 Protectionist Majority Party Åkerhielm
Boström, Erik GustafErik Gustaf Boström 1891-07-1010 July 1891 1900-09-1212 September 1900 Lantmanna Party Boström I
Otter, Fredrik vonFredrik von Otter 1900-09-1212 September 1900 1902-07-055 July 1902 0Independent von Otter
Boström, Erik GustafErik Gustaf Boström (2nd term) 1902-07-055 July 1902 1905-04-1313 April 1905 Lantmanna Party Boström II
Ramstedt, JohanJohan Ramstedt 1905-04-1313 April 1905 1905-08-022 August 1905 0Independent Ramstedt
Lundeberg, ChristianChristian Lundeberg 1905-08-022 August 1905 1905-11-077 November 1905 Protectionist Majority Party Lundeberg
Staaff, KarlKarl Staaff 1905-11-077 November 1905 1906-05-2929 May 1906 Liberal Coalition Party Staaff I
Lindman, ArvidArvid Lindman 1906-05-2929 May 1906 1911-10-077 October 1911 Moderate Party Lindman I
Staaff, KarlKarl Staaff (2nd term) 1911-10-077 October 1911 1914-02-1717 February 1914 Liberal Coalition Party Staaff II
Hammarskjöld, HjalmarHjalmar Hammarskjöld 1914-02-1717 February 1914 1917-03-3030 March 1917 0Independent Hammarskjöld
Swartz, CarlCarl Swartz 1917-03-3030 March 1917 1917-10-1919 October 1917 National Party Swartz
Edén, NilsNils Edén 1917-10-1919 October 1917 1920-03-1010 March 1920 Liberal Coalition Party Edén
Branting, HjalmarHjalmar Branting 1920-03-1010 March 1920 1920-10-2727 October 1920 Social Democratic Party Branting I
De Geer, Louis 2Louis De Geer fils 1920-10-2727 October 1920 1921-02-2323 February 1921 0Independent De Geer (1854-1935)
Sydow, Oscar vonOscar von Sydow 1921-02-2323 February 1921 1921-10-1313 October 1921 0Independent von Sydow
Branting, HjalmarHjalmar Branting (2nd term) 1921-10-1313 October 1921 1923-04-1919 April 1923 Social Democratic Party Branting II
Trygger, ErnstErnst Trygger 1923-04-1919 April 1923 1924-10-1818 October 1924 National Party Trygger
Branting, HjalmarHjalmar Branting (3rd term) 1924-10-1818 October 1924 1925-01-2424 January 1925 Social Democratic Party Branting III
Sandler, RickardRickard Sandler 1925-01-2424 January 1925 1926-06-077 June 1926 Social Democratic Party Sandler
Ekman, Carl GustafCarl Gustaf Ekman 1926-06-077 June 1926 1928-10-022 October 1928 Freeminded People's Party Ekman I
Lindman, ArvidArvid Lindman (2nd term) 1928-10-022 October 1928 1930-06-077 June 1930 Moderate Party Lindman II
Ekman, Carl GustafCarl Gustaf Ekman (2nd term) 1930-06-077 June 1930 1932-08-066 August 1932 Freeminded People's Party Ekman II
Hamrin, FelixFelix Hamrin 1932-08-066 August 1932 1932-09-2424 September 1932 Freeminded People's Party Hamrin
Hansson, Per AlbinPer Albin Hansson 1932-09-2424 September 1932 1936-06-1919 June 1936 Social Democratic Party Hansson I
Pehrsson-Bramstorp, AxelAxel Pehrsson-Bramstorp 1936-06-1919 June 1936 1936-09-2828 September 1936 Centre Party Pehrsson-Bramstorp
Hansson, Per AlbinPer Albin Hansson (2nd term) 1936-09-2828 September 1936 1946-10-066 October 1946[3] Social Democratic Party Hansson II,
Hansson III,
Hansson IV
Undén, ÖstenÖsten Undén (acting) 1946-10-066 October 1946 1946-10-1111 October 1946 Social Democratic Party Undén
Erlander, TageTage Erlander 1946-10-1111 October 1946 1969-10-1414 October 1969 Social Democratic Party Erlander I,
Erlander II,
Erlander III
Palme, OlofOlof Palme 1969-10-1414 October 1969 1976-10-088 October 1976 Social Democratic Party Palme I
Fälldin, ThorbjörnThorbjörn Fälldin 1976-10-088 October 1976 1978-10-1818 October 1978 Centre Party Fälldin I
Ullsten, OlaOla Ullsten 1978-10-1818 October 1978 1979-10-1212 October 1979 Liberal People's Party Ullsten
Fälldin, ThorbjörnThorbjörn Fälldin (2nd term) 1979-10-1212 October 1979 1982-10-088 October 1982 Centre Party Fälldin II,
Fälldin III
Palme, OlofOlof Palme (2nd term) 1982-10-088 October 1982 1986-03-011 March 1986[4] Social Democratic Party Palme II
Carlsson, IngvarIngvar Carlsson 1986-03-011 March 1986[5] 1991-10-044 October 1991 Social Democratic Party Carlsson I,
Carlsson II
Bildt, CarlCarl Bildt 1991-10-044 October 1991 1994-10-077 October 1994 Moderate Party C. Bildt
Carlsson, IngvarIngvar Carlsson (2nd term) 1994-10-077 October 1994 1996-03-2222 March 1996 Social Democratic Party Carlsson III
Persson, GöranGöran Persson 1996-03-2222 March 1996 2006-10-066 October 2006 Social Democratic Party Persson
Reinfeldt, FredrikFredrik Reinfeldt 2006-10-066 October 2006 Incumbent Moderate Party Reinfeldt

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ How a Government is formed (English). Government Offices of Sweden (2006-08-02). Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
  2. ^ Om Regeringskansliet (Swedish). Government Offices of Sweden (2007-10-30). Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
  3. ^ Died in office of natural causes.
  4. ^ Assassinated.
  5. ^ Acting Prime Minister from 1 March to 12 March 1986.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Prime Ministers of Sweden
De Geer père • Posse • Thyselius • Themptander • G. Bildt • Åkerhielm • Boström • von Otter • Boström • Ramstedt • Lundeberg • Staaff • Lindman • Staaff • Hammarskjöld • Swartz • Edén • Branting • De Geer fils • von Sydow • Branting • Trygger • Branting • Sandler • Ekman • Lindman • Ekman • Hamrin • Hansson • Pehrsson-Bramstorp • Hansson • Erlander • Palme • Fälldin • Ullsten • Fälldin • Palme • Carlsson • C. Bildt • Carlsson • Persson • Reinfeldt
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