Politics, constitution and administrative structure of Sweden

The Kingdom of Sweden operates the system of constitutional monarchy. Since the beginning of the 19th century, the Bernadotte Dynasty has been in power. The legislative arm of the country relies on the Constitution, which was adopted in the year 1975. The head of the country is the King, although his title is quite a formality. Historically, the King participates in all official events in the country, represents his Kingdom on the international arena, but in general does not deal with any important issues. The main functions of the executive branch are largely vested in the government, which is confirmed by the provisions of the current Constitution. At the same time, all decisions taken by the government do not need the approval or signing of the King.

It is worth noting that the King does not even have the right to elect or vice versa – to remove from office, the deputies of the government, the highest judicial staff, and other important officials. In other words, we can say that the main authority of Sweden is the parliament, called Riksdag. Its structure is unicameral and includes about three hundred and fifty officials. Each of them is elected by the proportional system for a term of office of 3 years. It should be noted that practically all issues related to such spheres of activity as trade, transport infrastructure, life and labor protection, health care, maintenance of public order, as well as industry and energy, are within the jurisdiction of the parliament.

The main executive power in the Kingdom of Sweden is the government and the cabinet. It is formed by the parliament itself and the cabinet of ministers carries strict report to the Riksdag. It is worth noting that the government to date also has quite extensive rights, which previously belonged to the King. The government deals with the basic issues of the economy, the social and political life of the Kingdom. This state body also has the right to appoint all senior officials and even the supreme judges. It is the government that is the main leader of the country’s armed forces. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

When it comes to the administrative division of the state, Sweden is a unitary state that is divided into districts; there are more than 20 of them nowadays, and they are called counties (Lena). Now they are administered by local authorities. Officials get to positions by a voting system, and run a term of office of three years. The activity of all officials from a number of local governments is strictly controlled by governors, who represent a kind of central authority. It is worth noting that every year, Sweden tries to give the municipality more rights and freedoms so that they can independently manage their own budget and solve all important issues for themselves at the local level.

The system of modern courts in Sweden has been operational since the end of the 18th century. It is headed by the Supreme Court, and consists of about 20 advisers, one of whom is appointed by the government chairman. In general, the Supreme Court can be divided into three divisions, in which approximately seven members of the court deal with cases. Also, there are 6 major courts of appeal in Sweden, each of them being located in a separate district of the country and has two or three small offices. Each court consists of five judges who deal with appeals against judgements or sentences. But, despite the developed network of appellate courts, usually not more than 5% of sentences and decisions are appealed.

The next part of the judicial system is the district courts; there are about a hundred of them within the territory of Sweden. Also in the country are; the supreme administrative court in Stockholm, the administrative court of appeal, and the administrative court of Lena (territorial unit). The foreign policy of the country is based on strict neutrality and lack of desire to join any military blocks. Sweden is an active member of the international community, United Nations, and it even took part in some military operations under the auspices of this organization. Also, the Kingdom of Sweden is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development of Europe. Thanks to this policy of neutrality, Sweden’s operational capability has risen to a high level. To date, about 3% of the country’s GDP is spent on the military sphere.