History of the Riksdag History of the Riksdag The Riksdag is the national legislature of Sweden. However, when it was founded in 1866 Sweden did not have a parliamentary system of government. The national legislatures of Estonia and Finland are also called Riksdag in Swedish. The precursor to the modern Riksdag was the Riksdag of the Estates (). Of ancient origin in the Viking Things, the meeting of the Swedish nobility at Arboga, in 1435 is considered as the first Riksdag. This informal representation was formalized in 1527 by King Gustav I of Sweden to include representatives of all the four estates, which historically
History of the Riksdag reflected the lines of division in Swedish society: the nobility, the clergy, the burghers and the peasantry. Under the Instrument of Government of 1809 the Riksdag shared the powers of government with the King. On the basis of the 1863 electoral reform bill the Estates voted in 1866 to dissolve the Riksdag of the Estates and establish a new Riksdag. The new Riksdag was a political assembly with two chambers where the members were chosen in national elections. The revolution was that citizens could participate and vote in the elections without regard to which Estate they had hitherto belonged; instead