Sweden
Sweden in Europe
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Outline of the Country´s Legal System
According to the work "Guide to Foreign and International Citations", by the Journal of International Law and Politics (New York University School of Law): The Swedish Constitution, adopted in 1975, establishes the form of government. Executive power is vested in the Government (Regering), which consists of the Prime Minister (Statsminister), who is the head of Government, and the Cabinet. The Monarch, who is the head of state, plays a largely ceremonial and symbolic role. The Prime Minister is elected by the Parliament (Riksdag). Members of the Cabinet are appointed by the Prime Minister. The Government submits proposals to Parliament concerning legislation and the national budget. Parliament may dissolve the Government at any time. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral Parliament. The 349 Members of Parliament are elected by the people on the basis of proportional representation to four-year terms. Parliament enacts laws (lagar) based on the Government’s proposals. It may delegate legislative power to the Government in certain areas. A regulation issued by the Government is called förordning. Its legal system is based primarily on the civil law tradition, although it also incorporates aspects of the common law tradition. Judicial power is vested in the courts. Sweden has a dual court system, which is composed of the civil and criminal courts and the administrative courts. In Sweden, the rule of precedent is relative, not absolute. The Supreme Courts include the High Court of General Jurisdiction (Högsta domstolen), the High Administrative Court (Regeringsrätten), the High Labor and Employment Court (Arbetsdomstolen), and the High Market and Competition Court (Marknadsdomstolen). Lower courts include General Courts (Hovrätt and Tingsrätt) and Administrative Courts (Lansrätt and Kammarrätt). Online Resources:
Parliament: riksdagen.se
Government: regeringen.se
Legislation in full text: notisum.se
Description of Sweden
The Concise Publication of the European Union describes sweden in the following terms: [1] Sweden was a founder member of the Council of Europe, EFTA and the Nordic Council, but its policies of non-alignment and neutrality, which had kept it out of both world wars, were long an impediment to joining the EC. In 1991, as the collapse of Soviet communism ended the Cold War and the single marketgained momentum, Sweden applied for membership and acceded in 1995 to what had by now become the European Union. Disillusionment, however, soon set in, especially on the left, and the 52% referendum vote in favour of ratification in 1994 would probably have been reversed if the vote had been retaken a few years later in the light of experience.
Once very prosperous, based on its rich natural resources and its sophisticated engineering industries, Sweden was governed by Social Democrats for all but seven years from 1932 to 1991, developing the so-called 'Swedish model of society', with a strong emphasis on social security and the maintenance of a high moral tone (see more in this European publication). Heavy taxes, sluggish growth and an eventually unsustainable level of public debt led, however, to a relative decline in prosperity (to about the average EU level) and an urgent need for reform. The centre-right administration elected in 1991 embarked on a programme of economic liberalisation and draconian welfare cuts, at a painful short-term cost in unemployment. Spending restraints continued under the Social Democrats when they returned to power in 1994, but the economy had been restored to an even keel and unemployment fell substantially. By 1998, had the country been so minded, it could readily have been admitted to the European single currency.
The country has a strong sense of the value of democratic self-determination and retains its traditional concerns for the environment and for typically modern social causes. It resents the secrecy and corruption scandals surrounding the EU's institutions and has little confidence in the benefits of Community harmonisation. As recently as 1995 no less than half of its 22 MEPs were from anti-European parties. Sweden did not join the ERM and in 1997 decided not to participate in the euro. The country's attitude to the EU is, however, characterised by ambivalence as well as aloofness, and by 2000 the single currency issue was again on the agenda, with business in favour and the left, as before, leading the opposition.
Resources
Notas y References
Based on the book "A Concise Publication of the European Union from Aachen to Zollverein", by Rodney Leach (Profile Books; London)
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