The foreign policy of Sweden was formerly based on the premise that national security is best served by staying free of alliances in peacetime in order to remain a neutral country in the event of war, with this policy lasting from 1814 in the context of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars until the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine. In 2002, Sweden revised its security doctrine. The security doctrine at that point still stated that "Sweden pursues a policy of non-participation in military alliances," but permitted cooperation in response to threats against peace and security. The government also seeks to maintain Sweden's high standard of living. These two objectives required heavy expenditures for social welfare, defence spending at rates considered low by Western European standards, and close attention to foreign trade opportunities and world economic cooperation. In 2024, Sweden formally became part of a military alliance for the first time since the end of the War of the Sixth Coalition by joining NATO.
The prime ministerof Sweden is the head of government 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.
A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a national security advisor and staffed with senior-level officials from military, diplomatic, intelligence, law enforcement and other governmental bodies. The functions and responsibilities of an NSC at the strategic state level are different from those of the United Nations Security Council, which is more of a diplomatic forum.
Stig Kjell Olof "Ola" Ullsten was a Swedish politician and diplomat who was Prime Minister of Sweden from 1978 to 1979 and leader of the Liberal People's Party from 1978 to 1983. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister briefly in 1978 and then again from 1980 to 1982 and served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1979 to 1982. Ullsten is Sweden's only Liberal prime minister since the 1930s.
The National Defence Radio Establishment is a Swedish government agency organised under the Ministry of Defence. The two main tasks of FRA are signals intelligence (SIGINT), and support to government authorities and state-owned companies regarding computer security.
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.
In 2005 the government of Sweden appointed a commission to draw up a comprehensive programme to reduce Sweden's dependence on petroleum, natural gas and other 'fossil raw materials' by 2020. In June 2006 the commission issued its report, entitled Making Sweden an Oil-Free Society. The report cited four reasons to reduce oil dependence:
The cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt was the cabinet of Sweden from 2006 to 2014. It was a coalition cabinet consisting of the four parties in the centre-right Alliance for Sweden: the Moderate Party, Centre Party, Liberal People's Party and the Christian Democrats.
Tobias Lennart Billström is a Swedish politician of the Moderate Party. He has served as Minister for Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Ulf Kristersson since 18 October 2022 and has been Member of the Riksdag since the 2002 general election, representing Malmö Municipality (2002–2022) and Stockholm County.
The Ministry of Justice is a ministry in the Government of Sweden responsible for policies related to combating terrorism, democracy and human rights, family law, the judicial system, migration and asylum and the Constitution of Sweden.
The Ministry of Climate and Enterprise is a ministry in the Government of Sweden responsible for policies related to the climate, the natural environment, energy, enterprise, innovation, radiation safety, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, outdoor life and circular economy.
Ernst Egon Napoleon Kjerrman was a Swedish kapellmeister, actor and composer. He was famous for hosting Allsång på Skansen from 1956 to 1966. He was pianist in Sveriges magasin and participated in many other radio and TV programs during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Vulnerable area is a term applied by the Swedish Police Authority to areas with high crime rates and social exclusion. They are colloquially known as no-go zones. In the December 2015 report, there were 53 vulnerable areas, which increased to 61 in June 2017. The increase is reported to be due to better reporting, not a changing situation. The overall trend is that these areas are improving.
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.
Sweden's unique response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the subject of significant controversy in both domestic and international circles. Unlike most countries, which strongly recommended or introduced widespread sector closures, quarantining, and lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019, the government of Sweden took a more lenient approach to the pandemic, prioritizing the economy and only pursuing social distancing measures such as bans on large gatherings and limited travel restrictions.
Vaccination against COVID-19 in Sweden started on 27 December 2020 after the approval of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine by the European Commission. In Sweden, the Public Health Agency has been commissioned by the government to create a vaccination plan. Sveriges riksbank, the central bank of Sweden, predicts that efficient vaccination against COVID-19 has macroeconomic benefits. As of 20 April 2022, 87.1% of people in Sweden have received at least one dose, with a total of 21,491,717 doses administered.: At least one vaccine has been approved for all age groups 12 and older. Children younger than 12 in high risk groups can also be vaccinated.
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.
Honor-related violence in Sweden first received public attention in Sweden due to the honor killings of Sara Abed Ali in 1996, Pela Atroshi in 1999 and Fadime Sahindal in 2002. Honor related violence includes forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and other forms of coercion. According to the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society in 2009, about 70 thousand women and men reported pressure to marry against their will. In 2019, the Swedish Police Authority started to specifically track honor-related crimes, and by November 2021, 4500 suspected honor-related crimes had been reported.
Carl Henrik Jacob Landerholm is a Swedish politician who has served as first National Security Advisor to the Government of Sweden since 2022. He is a member of the Moderate Party and has previously served as a Member of the Riksdag. Between 1998 and 2002 he was Chairman of the Defense Committee.
