ABSTRACT
Sweden is a unitary state. The Riksdag’s laws apply throughout the whole state territory and can cover all aspects of the affairs of the Swedish people. In practice there is a degree of local autonomy, which shows itself partly as the freedom of local authorities to interpret a skeleton or framework law in ways appropriate to the locality and partly as the freedom of local authorities to make their own regulations on minor matters such as car parking. It would be a mistake, however, to suppose that local government in Sweden is nothing more than this. Local government also has the freedom to take initiatives in any way not specifically reserved to another authority and to proceed with these initiatives until successfully challenged by a local resident through a quasi-legal process. This major freedom arises from the constitution. Local government is warmly regarded and a serious matter to the Swedes.
