Which members of parliament have the greatest influence over legislation and the strongest ability to shape public opinion?
In this year’s ranking of political influence in Sweden, it is clear that both the Social Democrats and the Moderate Party hold strong positions at the top. On the parliamentary side, three profiles stand out with significant impact: Eva Lindh (Social Democrats) from Östergötland County, Serkan Köse (Social Democrats) from Stockholm County, and Edward Riedl (Moderate Party) from Västerbotten County. Eva Lindh and Serkan Köse distinguish themselves through high activity in the Riksdag, with many speeches, interpellations, and written questions, while Edward Riedl takes a top position thanks to his role as chair of the Finance Committee and his influence within the Moderate parliamentary group.
Unsurprisingly, party leaders dominate public influence. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (Moderate Party) tops the list with exceptionally high media coverage and strong search interest. Magdalena Andersson (Social Democrats), who leads the largest party in the Riksdag and is the opposition’s foremost representative, has a strong public presence. Ebba Busch (Christian Democrats), Deputy Prime Minister and responsible for energy and business affairs, also ranks highly thanks to her central role in government and her clear media profile.
The parliamentary ranking reveals a clear and expected dividing line in Swedish politics. The governing parties (Moderate Party, Christian Democrats, and Liberal Party) and their members of parliament generally show lower influence in the Riksdag compared to what might be expected from the distribution of seats. This is logical, as their main influence is exercised from Rosenbad and other parts of the Government Offices, where policy is shaped and prepared before being handed over to the Riksdag. The Sweden Democrats, as a cooperation party within the Tidö Agreement, follow a similar trend. This is clearly reflected in the figures: only 2 of the Moderate Party’s 68 members, 6 of the Sweden Democrats’ 72, 1 of the Christian Democrats’ 19, and 1 of the Liberal Party’s 16 members are found in the top 50 list for parliamentary influence.
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