Election Guide 2002 - Sweden.se

After the general election in 1994, the Social
Democrats returned to power (with 161 seats out of
349) and formed a new government with Ingvar Carlsson
as Prime Minister. In March 1996 Ingvar Carlsson
resigned and was succeeded by Göran Persson, the new
chairman of the Social Democratic Party.
In the 1998 election, the foundations of the government
were weakened. Nevertheless, the Persson Government
remained in power (with 131 seats out of 349) and cooperated
with the Left Party and the Green Party in the
Riksdag.
How the system works today
Proportional representation
Parliamentary elections employ a system of proportional
representation designed to ensure a distribution of seats
among the parties in proportion to the votes cast for
them nationally.
Proportional fairness is not primarily achieved in each
constituency but in the whole country regarded as a
single constituency. Hence, in addition to 310 fixed
constituency seats, 39 seats are distributed at large so
as to obtain a fair, nationally proportional result.
However, the at-large seats are also filled by candidates
from the parties’ regular electoral lists.
There is one exception to the rule of complete
national proportionality: a quota rule intended to
prevent very small parties from gaining representation
in the Riksdag. A party must thus receive at least 4% of
the national popular vote to qualify for any seats. In any
one constituency, however, a party can gain a seat by
obtaining 12% of the votes, even if its national popular
vote falls short of 4%.
Dissolution of the Riksdag
The government has the right to dissolve the Riksdag
and call an extraordinary election between the ordinary,
regularly scheduled elections. However, the mandate of
an extraordinary election is valid only for the remaining
portion of the regular parliamentary term of office. No
extra election has been held in Sweden since the current
constitution came into force in 1975.
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