Business as usual as King Carl XVI Gustaf welcomes Sweden’s new Prime Minister – Royal Central
Ingemar Lindewall/King. The court states
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden have participated in a change of government held at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.
The king solemnly declared the change of government completed at the special meeting at the Royal Palace on 18 October 2022. During the historic meeting with the new government, the Speaker of the Riksdag presented to the royals the new Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson from Höger Fest.
The Prime Minister then presented his new ministers to the King and Crown Princess at the ceremony. The new prime minister leads the first liberal-conservative government in Sweden in eight years.
The Swedish monarch also gave a speech in which he humorously said: “Both governments and rulers come and go. Although with slightly different interval lengths. Something that remains, however, is Swedish democracy, where citizens have enjoyed equal rights and universal suffrage for more than a century.”
The Swedish king continued: – Unfortunately, we don’t have to look that far into the world to see that democracy is not a matter of course, but something that must be protected. Every day. Today, October 18, 2022, a new government for Sweden takes office. This takes place after a parliamentary election that was free, secret and direct, in accordance with the constitution. This adds another link to the chain that is the history of Swedish democracy.”
The event naturally received a lot of attention in Sweden, where the ceremony was broadcast live on TV. Other Nordic TV channels also had broad coverage of the event. After the ceremonial part was over, both cameras and the President of the Swedish Parliament were allowed to leave the Royal Palace. Then the first regular cabinet was held under the new prime minister.