The four fundamental laws — how Sweden's constitution works

Sweden has four fundamental laws. They stand above all other laws and are harder to change — to protect democracy. This is one of the central areas in Sverige i fokus.

What is a fundamental law?

The fundamental laws determine how Sweden is to be governed and protect our democracy. They carry more weight than ordinary laws, and they are harder to change: the parliament must make two identical decisions with a general election in between. In this way, a temporary majority cannot quickly change the basic rules of the game.

1. The Instrument of Government (Regeringsformen)

The Instrument of Government is the most important fundamental law. It establishes that all public power proceeds from the people and describes how Sweden is governed — the roles of the parliament, the government and the courts. It also contains the protection of citizens' basic freedoms and rights. The current Instrument of Government is from 1974.

2. The Freedom of the Press Act (Tryckfrihetsförordningen)

The Freedom of the Press Act protects the freedom to print and publish texts, for example in newspapers and books. It also contains the principle of public access (offentlighetsprincipen) — the right to access public documents held by authorities. The Freedom of the Press Act dates back to 1766 and is thus one of the oldest of its kind in the world.

3. The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression (Yttrandefrihetsgrundlagen)

The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression protects the freedom to express oneself in media other than printed texts — such as radio, TV, film and content on the web. It complements the Freedom of the Press Act and is from 1991.

4. The Act of Succession (Successionsordningen)

The Act of Succession regulates who inherits the Swedish throne, i.e. the line of succession in the royal house. It is the oldest of the currently valid fundamental laws in its present form, from 1810.