The Prime Minister or Statsminister is the head of Government in Sweden. Before 1876, when the office of Prime Minister was instituted, Sweden did not have a formal head of Government. The architect behind the new Riksdag of 1866, Louis de Geer became the first Prime Minister, but ironically it had been the absence of his informal leadership in the Government that had brought about the reform.
Since the Constitution of 1809 there had actually been the two titles of Prime Minister of Justice or Justitiestatsminister and Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs or Utrikesstatsminister, but their roles had merely been that of a head for respective Ministry. At the introduction of the office of Prime Minsiter these titles were changed to Minister of Justice and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
After an election the Speaker of Parliament holds consultations with the party leaders and appoints a Prime Minister-designate, who then submits a list of ministers for approval to the Parliament. If the list is approved they form a Cabinet Government under the leadership of the Prime Minister. Single ministers can be forced to resign by a vote of no confidence by Parliament, but if the Prime Minister is forced to resign the entire cabinet falls and the process starts over.
In 1991 the Sager house[?] was acquired, and since 1995 it has served as residence for the Prime Minister. The Sager house is located adjacent to Rosenbad[?], the Government chancery and straight across from the Riksdag building, which sits on its own islet, Helgeandsholmen.
