History of the Riksdag in 1921. By this Sweden had established a democratic and parliamentary system of government. In the 1960s debates intensified over constitutional reform in Sweden. The fundamental question was over the system of government. Even though a "de facto" parliamentary system was firmly established, somewhat similar to the situation in the United Kingdom, there were demands for a more democratic constitution. One of the main issues was whether the monarchy would survive constitutional reform and this blocked the issue for a long time. Effective from 1970 a reform of the Riksdag had been agreed upon. Though not technically part of the
Riksdag members of the Riksdag are elected in the general elections held every four years. All Swedish citizens who turn 18 years old no later than on the day of the election are eligible to vote in and stand for elections. A minimum of 4% of the national vote is required for a party to enter the Riksdag, alternatively 12% or more within a constituency. Substitutes for each deputy are elected at the same time as each election, so by-elections are rare. In the event of a snap election, the newly elected members merely serve the remainder of the four-year term.