Prior to the creation of the office of prime minister in 1876, Sweden did not have a head of government distinct from its head of state, the monarch, who traditionally held all executive authority. Louis De Geer, the architect of the bicameral Riksdag of 1866, which replaced the centuries-old Riksdag of the Estates, became Sweden's first prime minister in 1876. As of 2022 [update] , the prime minister of Sweden is Ulf Kristersson, leader of the Moderate Party. The list below contains statistics about the tenures of each of the prime ministers of Sweden since 1876.
Before 1876, when the office of prime minister was created, Sweden did not have a head of government separate from the monarch. The most-senior member of the Privy Council during the period of absolute rule was the lord high chancellor, whose role was similar to that of a head of government. That was most evident during the so-called Age of Liberty, from 1718 to 1772, when the monarch's powers were greatly reduced and the president of the Privy Council became the dominant political figure in Sweden.
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Name (Lifespan) | Portrait | Term | Party (Alliance) | Cabinet Parties | Mandate / Election | Monarch (Reign) | ||||||
Tenure | Time in office | |||||||||||
1 | Louis Gerhard De Geer (1818–1896) | 20 March 1876 – 19 April 1880 | 4 years, 30 days | Independent | L. G. De Geer | 1875 1878 | Oscar II (1872–1907) | |||||
2 | Arvid Posse (1820–1901) | 19 April 1880 – 13 June 1883 | 3 years, 55 days | Lantmanna Party | Posse | — 1881 | ||||||
3 | Carl Johan Thyselius (1811–1891) | 13 June 1883 – 16 May 1884 | 308 days | Independent | Thyselius | — | ||||||
4 | Robert Themptander (1844–1897) | 16 May 1884 – 6 February 1888 | 3 years, 266 days | Independent | Themptander | 1884 | ||||||
1887a [§] | ||||||||||||
1887b | ||||||||||||
5 | Gillis Bildt (1820–1894) | 6 February 1888 – 12 October 1889 | 1 year, 248 days | Independent | G. Bildt | — | ||||||
6 | Gustaf Åkerhielm (1833–1900) | 12 October 1889 – 10 July 1891 | 1 year, 271 days | Protectionist Party | Åkerhielm | — 1890 | ||||||
7 | Erik Gustaf Boström (1842–1907) | 10 July 1891 – 12 September 1900 | 9 years, 64 days | Boström I | — 1893 1896 1899 | |||||||
8 | Fredrik von Otter (1833–1910) | 12 September 1900 – 5 July 1902 | 1 year, 296 days | Independent | Otter | — | ||||||
(7) [lower-alpha 5] | Erik Gustaf Boström (1842–1907) | 5 July 1902 – 13 April 1905 | 2 years, 282 days | Lantmanna Party | Boström II | — 1902 | ||||||
9 | Johan Ramstedt (1852–1935) | 13 April 1905 – 2 August 1905 | 111 days | Independent | Ramstedt | — | ||||||
10 | Christian Lundeberg (1842–1911) | 2 August 1905 – 7 November 1905 | 97 days | Protectionist Party (General Electoral League) | Lundeberg AvF–LS | — | ||||||
11 | Karl Staaff (1860–1915) | 7 November 1905 – 29 May 1906 | 203 days | Liberal Coalition Party | Staaff I LS | 1905 | ||||||
12 | Arvid Lindman (1862–1936) | 29 May 1906 – 8 December 1907 | 5 years, 131 days | Lantmanna Party (General Electoral League) | Lindman I AvF | — 1908 | ||||||
8 December 1907 – 7 October 1911 | Gustaf V (1907–1950) | |||||||||||
(11) | Karl Staaff (1860–1915) | 7 October 1911 – 17 February 1914 | 2 years, 133 days | Liberal Coalition Party | Staaff II LS | 1911 | ||||||
13 | Hjalmar Hammarskjöld (1862–1953) | 17 February 1914 – 30 March 1917 | 3 years, 41 days | Independent | Hammarskjöld | — | ||||||
1914a [§] | ||||||||||||
1914b | ||||||||||||
14 | Carl Swartz (1858–1926) | 30 March 1917 – 19 October 1917 | 203 days | National Party (General Electoral League) | Swartz AvF | — | ||||||
15 | Nils Edén (1871–1945) | 19 October 1917 – 10 March 1920 | 2 years, 143 days | Liberal Coalition Party | Edén LS–S | 1917 | ||||||
16 | Hjalmar Branting (1860–1925) | 10 March 1920 – 27 October 1920 | 231 days | Social Democrats | Branting I S | — | ||||||
17 | Gerhard Louis De Geer (1854–1935) | 27 October 1920 – 23 February 1921 | 119 days | Independent | G. L. De Geer | 1920 | ||||||
18 | Oscar von Sydow (1873–1936) | 23 February 1921 – 13 October 1921 | 232 days | von Sydow | — | |||||||
(16) | Hjalmar Branting (1860–1925) | 13 October 1921 – 19 April 1923 | 1 year, 188 days | Social Democrats | Branting II S | 1921 [§] | ||||||
19 | Ernst Trygger (1857–1943) | 19 April 1923 – 18 October 1924 | 1 year, 182 days | National Party (General Electoral League) | Trygger AvF | — | ||||||
(16) | Hjalmar Branting (1860–1925) | 18 October 1924 – 24 January 1925 | 98 days | Social Democrats | Branting III S | 1924 | ||||||
20 | Rickard Sandler (1884–1964) | 24 January 1925 – 7 June 1926 | 1 year, 134 days | Sandler S | — | |||||||
21 | Carl Gustaf Ekman (1872–1945) | 7 June 1926 – 2 October 1928 | 2 years, 117 days | Freeminded People's Party | Ekman I FF–L | — | ||||||
(12) | Arvid Lindman (1862–1936) | 2 October 1928 – 7 June 1930 | 1 year, 248 days | Lantmanna Party (General Electoral League) | Lindman II AvF | 1928 | ||||||
(21) | Carl Gustaf Ekman (1872–1945) | 7 June 1930 – 6 August 1932 | 2 years, 60 days | Freeminded People's Party | Ekman II FF | — | ||||||
22 | Felix Hamrin (1875–1937) | 6 August 1932 – 24 September 1932 | 49 days | Hamrin FF | — | |||||||
23 | Per Albin Hansson (1885–1946) | 24 September 1932 – 19 June 1936 | 3 years, 269 days | Social Democrats | Hansson I S | 1932 | ||||||
24 | Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp (1883–1954) | 19 June 1936 – 28 September 1936 | 101 days | Farmers' League | Pehrsson-Bramstorp Bf | — | ||||||
(23) | Per Albin Hansson (1885–1946) | 28 September 1936 – 6 October 1946 [†] | 10 years, 8 days | Social Democrats | Hansson II S–Bf | 1936 1940 1944 | ||||||
Hansson III S–Bf–H–F | ||||||||||||
Hansson IV S | ||||||||||||
— | Östen Undén (1886–1974) | Acting Prime Minister from 6 to 11 October 1946 (5 days) following the death of Per Albin Hansson. | Hansson IV S | — | ||||||||
25 | Tage Erlander (1901–1985) | 11 October 1946 – 29 October 1950 | 23 years, 3 days | Erlander I S | — 1948 1952 1956 1958 [§] 1960 1964 1968 | |||||||
29 October 1950 – 14 October 1969 | Gustaf VI Adolf (1950–1973) | |||||||||||
Erlander II S–Bf | ||||||||||||
Erlander III S | ||||||||||||
26 | Olof Palme (1927–1986) | 14 October 1969 – 15 September 1973 | 6 years, 360 days | Palme I S | — 1970 1973 | |||||||
15 September 1973 – 8 October 1976 | Carl XVI Gustaf (1973–) | |||||||||||
27 | Thorbjörn Fälldin (1926–2016) | 8 October 1976 – 18 October 1978 | 2 years, 10 days | Centre Party | Fälldin I C–M–F | 1976 | ||||||
28 | Ola Ullsten (1931–2018) | 18 October 1978 – 12 October 1979 | 359 days | People's Party | Ullsten F | — | ||||||
(27) | Thorbjörn Fälldin (1926–2016) | 12 October 1979 – 8 October 1982 | 2 years, 361 days | Centre Party | Fälldin II C–M–F | 1979 | ||||||
Fälldin III C–F | ||||||||||||
(26) | Olof Palme (1927–1986) | 8 October 1982 – 28 February 1986 [‡] | 3 years, 143 days | Social Democrats | Palme II S | 1982 1985 | ||||||
— | Ingvar Carlsson (b. 1934) | Acting Prime Minister from 28 February to 12 March 1986 (12 days) following the assassination of Olof Palme. | Social Democrats | Palme II S | — 1988 | |||||||
29 | 12 March 1986 – 4 October 1991 | 5 years, 206 days | Carlsson I S | |||||||||
Carlsson II S | ||||||||||||
30 | Carl Bildt (b. 1949) | 4 October 1991 – 7 October 1994 | 3 years, 3 days | Moderate Party | C. Bildt M–C–FP–KD | 1991 | ||||||
(29) | Ingvar Carlsson (b. 1934) | 7 October 1994 – 22 March 1996 | 1 year, 167 days | Social Democrats | Carlsson III S | 1994 | ||||||
31 | Göran Persson (b. 1949) | 22 March 1996 – 6 October 2006 | 10 years, 198 days | Persson S | — 1998 2002 | |||||||
32 | Fredrik Reinfeldt (b. 1965) | 6 October 2006 – 3 October 2014 | 7 years, 362 days | Moderate Party (Alliance for Sweden) | Reinfeldt M–C–FP–KD | 2006 2010 | ||||||
33 | Stefan Löfven (b. 1957) | 3 October 2014 – 30 November 2021 | 7 years, 58 days | Social Democrats | Löfven I [✕] S–MP | 2014 2018 | ||||||
Löfven II [✕] S–MP | ||||||||||||
Löfven III S–MP | ||||||||||||
34 | Magdalena Andersson (b. 1967) | 30 November 2021 – 18 October 2022 | 322 days | Andersson S | — | |||||||
35 | Ulf Kristersson (b. 1963) | 18 October 2022 – Incumbent | 1 year, 362 days | Moderate Party | Kristersson M–KD–L | 2022 |
The politics of Sweden take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Executive power is exercised by the government, led by the prime minister of Sweden. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament, elected within a multi-party system. The judiciary is independent, appointed by the government and employed until retirement. Sweden is formally a monarchy with a monarch holding symbolic power.
The Riksdag is the legislature and the supreme decision-making body of the Kingdom of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral legislature with 349 members, elected proportionally and serving, since 1994, fixed four-year terms. The 2022 Swedish general election is the most recent general election.
The prime ministerof Sweden is the head of government of the Kingdom of Sweden. The prime minister and their cabinet exercise executive authority in the Kingdom of Sweden and are subject to the Parliament of Sweden. The prime minister is nominated by the speaker of the Riksdag and is elected by the chamber by simple majority, using negative parliamentarianism. The Riksdag holds elections every four years, in the even year between leap years.
The Moderate Party, commonly referred to as the Moderates, is a liberal-conservative political party in Sweden. The party generally supports tax cuts, the free market, civil liberties and economic liberalism. Globally, it is a full member of the International Democracy Union and the European People's Party.
The speaker of the Riksdag is the presiding officer of the national unicameral legislature in Sweden.
Ulf Hjalmar Kristersson is a Swedish politician who has been serving as Prime Minister of Sweden since 2022. He has been the leader of the Moderate Party (M) since October 2017 and a member of the Riksdag (MP) for Södermanland County since 2014 and for Stockholm County from 1991 to 2000. He previously served as Minister for Social Security from 2010 to 2014 and as Chairman of the Moderate Youth League from 1988 to 1992.
The deputy prime minister of Sweden is the deputy head of government of Sweden. The incumbent deputy prime minister is Ebba Busch.
General elections were held in Sweden on 9 September 2018 to elect the 349 members of the Riksdag. Regional and municipal elections were also held on the same day. The incumbent minority government, consisting of the Social Democrats and the Greens and supported by the Left Party, won 144 seats, one seat more than the four-party Alliance coalition, with the Sweden Democrats winning the remaining 62 seats. The Social Democrats' vote share fell to 28.3 percent, its lowest level of support since 1911.
Kjell Stefan Löfven is a Swedish politician who has served as the President of European Socialists since October 2022. He previously served as Prime Minister of Sweden from October 2014 to November 2021 and leader of the Social Democratic Party from 2012 to 2021.
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden is the national cabinet of Sweden, and the country's executive authority.
Eva Magdalena Andersson is a Swedish politician and economist who has been serving as Leader of the Opposition since October 2022 and Leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party since 2021. She has served as a Member of the Riksdag for Stockholm County since 2014. She previously served as Prime Minister of Sweden from November 2021 to October 2022, Minister for Finance from 2014 to 2021 and Chair of the International Monetary and Financial Committee from 2020 to 2022.
General elections were held in Sweden on 11 September 2022 to elect the 349 members of the Riksdag who in turn elected the Prime Minister of Sweden. Under the constitution, regional and municipal elections were also held on the same day. The preliminary results presented on 15 September showed the government parties lost their majority, which were confirmed by the final results published on 17 September. After a month of negotiations following the elections that led to the Tidö Agreement among the right-wing bloc, Moderate Party (M) leader Ulf Kristersson was elected prime minister on 17 October. The Kristersson cabinet is a minority government of the Moderates, Christian Democrats (KD) and Liberals (L) that relies on confidence and supply from the Sweden Democrats (SD).
In the 2018 Swedish general election, no political group or party won an outright majority, resulting in a hung parliament. On 9 September, the Red-Greens, led by Stefan Löfven's Social Democrats (S), emerged as the main political force in the Riksdag, while the centre-right Alliance led by Ulf Kristersson's Moderate Party only got one seat less. The right-wing populist party Sweden Democrats, led by Jimmie Åkesson, came third. As a result, protracted negotiations were required before a new government formation. On 18 January 2019, Löfven was re-elected as prime minister.
The second cabinet of Stefan Löfven was the government of Sweden from 21 January 2019 to 9 July 2021. It was a coalition, consisting of two parties: the Social Democrats and the Green Party. The cabinet was installed on 21 January 2019, following the 2018 general election.
A government crisis began on 21 June 2021 in Sweden after the Riksdag ousted Prime Minister Stefan Löfven with a no-confidence vote. This was the first time in Swedish history a Prime Minister was ousted by a no-confidence vote. After winning the 2014 Swedish general election, the Löfven II Cabinet's government budget was rejected by the Riksdag, causing a government crisis that lasted for nearly a month. The 2021 government crisis was the second government crisis suffered by a Löfven cabinet. The vote was called on 17 June 2021 by the Sweden Democrats after the Swedish Left Party withdrew support for Löfven over rent control reform, which is an important issue for many voters.
The third cabinet of Stefan Löfven was the government of Sweden during 9 July 2021 to 30 November 2021. It was a coalition, consisting of two parties: the Social Democrats and the Green Party. The cabinet was installed on 9 July 2021, during a formal government meeting with King Carl XVI Gustaf. The government was the result of the aftermath of the 2021 government crisis, which saw Löfven's government removed from power in a vote of no-confidence over proposed reforms to liberalise the rent control system.
Prime Minister Stefan Löfven tendered his resignation on 10 November 2021, leaving his government in place as a caretaker cabinet until a new Prime Minister is elected by the Riksdag. Government formation talks commenced the following day with Magdalena Andersson, the newly-elected head of the Social Democratic party offering to lead a government. She was formally nominated to form a government by the Speaker of the Riksdag, Andreas Norlén later the same day. It was the third government formation process since the 2018 general election, the first taking a record 144 days before the formation of Löfven's second cabinet. The process took place just ten months ahead of the 2022 general election.
The Andersson cabinet was the government of Sweden following the resignation of Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and the hasty election of Magdalena Andersson as his successor. It was expected to be a coalition government consisting of two parties: the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the Green Party. In a late turn of events after the confirmation vote, the Green Party left the government cooperation due to the government's budget proposal failing in the Riksdag. The cabinet were originally planned to be installed on 26 November 2021 during a formal government meeting with King Carl XVI Gustaf, but Andersson decided to resign due to a precedent regarding changes in a government's composition; this happened just seven hours after the vote in the Riksdag. The Speaker then set Andersson up for a new confirmation vote to make sure she still had the Riksdag's approval.
Events in the year 2022 in Sweden.