Since today marks the opening of the Swedish Riksdag and it’s election day in our neighbouring country Denmark, I figured 10 nice and easy facts about Swedish politics would be appropriate.

1. As Head of State, the King opens the Riksdag session every year in mid-September. This service takes place in Storkyrkan and the members of the Riksdag, the Royal family and invited special guests are attending.

2. There are currently eight parties represented in the Riksdag: the Moderate Party (Moderaterna, M), the Christian Democrats (Kristdemokraterna, KD), the Liberal Party (Folkpartiet Liberalerna, FP), the Center Party (Centerpartiet, C), the Green Party (Miljöpartiet de Gröna, MP), The Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterna, S), the Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna, SD) and the Left Party (Vänsterpartiet, V).

3. In the general election of September 19, 2010, Fredrik Reinfeldt (Moderaterna) became the first conservative prime minister to be reelected. When he became Sweden’s prime minister back in 2006, he ended 12 years ruled by the Social Democrats.

4. Since the 2006 election, the Riksdag set a world record for female parliamentary representation, with women making up 47 percent of its elected members. Sweden remains in the lead after the 2010 election, with 45 percent female representation in the Riksdag.

5. To vote in Sweden, you need to be 18 years and a Swedish citizen. 7 million people in the country are entitled to vote.

6. The Riksdag makes the decisions and the Government implements them. The Government also submits proposals for new laws or amendments to laws to the Riksdag.

7. A party must receive at least 4 percent of all votes in the election to gain representation in the Riksdag, a rule intended to prevent very small parties from getting into the Riksdag.

8. Sweden was the first country in the world to introduce freedom of press, in 1776.

9. Sweden is one of the largest contributors to the United Nations and one of the few countries to meet the UN’s aid target of 0.7 percent of GNI. Sweden became a member of the UN in 1946.

10. Sweden was one of three EU countries not to join the European currency. Swedish voters rejected it by a clear majority in September 2003.

The lefy wing of the Riksdag, Stockholm.

The Chamber.

(Source: www.riksdagen.se, www.sweden.se)