History of the Riksdag

The Riksdag is the national legislature of Sweden. However, when it was founded in 1866 Sweden did not have a parliamentary system of government.

The national legislatures of Estonia and Finland are also called Riksdag in Swedish.

The precursor to the modern Riksdag was the Riksdag of the Estates (Swedish: Ståndsriksdagen). Of ancient origin in the Viking Things, the meeting of the Swedish nobility at Arboga, in 1435 is considered as the first Riksdag. This informal representation was formalized in 1527 by King Gustav I of Sweden to include representatives of all the Four Estates, which historically reflected the lines of division in Swedish society: Nobility, Clergy, Burgesses and Peasants. Under the Instrument of Government of 1809 the Riksdag shared the powers of Government with the King.

On the basis of the 1863 electoral reform bill the Estates voted in 1866 to dissolve the Riksdag of the Estates and establish a new Riksdag. The new Riksdag was a political assembly with two chambers where the members were chosen in national elections.

The revolution was that citizens could participate and vote in the elections without regard to which Estate they had hitherto belonged; instead there were new requirements on income or wealth, i.e. census suffrage. Despite the fundamental change in the principles of representation the social composition of the Riksdag did not alter by much, and the system of Government had not changed. Under the Constitution of 1809 the Riksdag still divided the powers of Government with the King.

From the second half of the 19th century, when the Riksdag was founded, until the early 20th century, Swedish society underwent a number of fundamental changes that impacted on the political system. Political demands, but also sheer economic progress, increased the share of citizens eligible to vote and have a direct influence on the political system. This in turn also sponsored the emergence and growth of political parties. The Riksdag had also been able to assert itself against the Royal authority and a de facto parliamentary system had begun to emerge. As of the general election in 1921, universal and equal franchise was introduced for men and women alike, and the Riksdag finally achieved a system of democratic representation for all citizens who were at least 23 years old on election day.

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Wikipedia