King Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden have attended a change of government council was held at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.
The King ceremoniously declared the change of government complete at the special meeting at the Royal Palace on October 18th 2022. During the historic meeting with the new government, the Parliament President introduced to the royals the new Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, from the Conservative Party.
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 lengths of intervals. Something that remains, however, is the Swedish democracy, where citizens have enjoyed equal rights and universal voting rights 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 yet 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 a broad coverage of the event. After the ceremonial part was over, both cameras and the president of the Swedish parliament had to leave the Royal Palace. Then the first ordinary council of state was held under the new prime minister.
