A new regering/government is formed after a former one has stepped down. The most common time is after ett val/an election, but it can also be due to a vote of no confidence or the person stepping down by own choice. When former statsminister/Prime minister Stefan Löfven (2014-2021) stepped down as party leader one year before the general election, a new Prime minister had to be voted in. 

Talmannen/the Speaker is the highest elected office in Sweden. That person will suggest the most likely candidate for Prime minister, which then the 349 riksdagsledamöter/members of parliament, will vote on. The key here is not to get voted in, but to be tolerated by a majoritet/majority. If at least 175 members actively vote against, then the task to become Prime minister will likely go to someone else, for example the leader of the other block of parties. If the vote fails four times, then a new election must be held within three months.

How each member of parliament vote, marked by green, yellow and red.

If more than half of the members of parliament either röstar/vote for or lay down their votes, the candidate has won and will get to form a government. But the earliest that a new government can be in place is the day after. Then, the new Prime minister will give a regeringsförklaring/declaration of government, where the names and roles of each minister is read out loud. Following this is a skifteskonselj/shift council, where the new Prime minister and ministers have an official möte/meeting with the monarch in the castle next door. It is only then that the new government has officially taken office, and the övergångsregering/transitional government officially steps down.

Bonus info

Today, the parliament voted on Ulf Kristersson from the right coalition, which won by three mandates over the left side after the September election. The unique part is that Kristersson is the partiledare/party leader of the election’s third biggest party, and only the second biggest in his own coalition. The biggest party in the coalition will not officially be part of the government, but will have a significant influence on the government’s proceedings and the budget. I can’t even explain how konstigt/weird this is. In the vote for Kristersson as Prime minister today he got 176 for and 173 against, which means everyone followed the party line. He will therefor tomorrow present his government.