Reykjavík Grapevine - sep. 2021, Blaðsíða 9

9 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 09— 2021
Viktor Ingi Lorange, 10th on the list in the
Reykjavík North district for the Independ-
ence Party
1. My name is Viktor Lorange, I'm 27 years
old. Originally I'm from the Grafarvogur
suburb, but currently living downtown.
I work as a digital consultant, am gay and
have a cat named Abba. I am also a candidate
for Parliament for the Independence Party
in Reykjavík Constituency North.
2. Because it is my conviction that by trust-
ing individuals with the freedom to make
their own choices and allowing them to
prosper on their own terms, we build a
stronger, more diverse and thriving society.
This belief has been the core of the Inde-
pendence Party's manifesto since its foun-
dation. It is my hope that voters can see that
this approach has made Iceland a prosper-
ous country — from being one of the poor-
est in Europe to one of the richest. We want
people to be able to live up to their potential,
which in return benefits society as a whole.
To achieve this, we need to create an envi-
ronment for entrepreneurship, competition
and knowledge, based on a foundation of a
robust welfare and education system where
everyone is on equal footing. This is what we
offer to the voters and what we can deliver
with their support.
3. Healthcare, the climate crisis and to make
Iceland more open to people who want to
come here and live.
4. No. We will work with any party that is
willing to work with us towards our goals.
5. Iceland's demographics have changed very
drastically and rapidly in the last decades,
which is why I think the immigrant popu-
lation isn't properly represented and hope-
fully, it is just a matter of time until this will
change for the better. As a society we need to
do more to make it easier for immigrants to
take full part in our society, e.g. with better
access to language courses and more social
mobility. I hope my party will both work
towards enacting such changes through
parliament and do more to empower these
new and important members of our society
within our party.
1. Briefly introduce yourself
by summing up who you are
in one or two sentences.
2. Why run for your party?
Relatedly, why should they
get someone's vote instead of
another party?
3. What are the top three
things Parliament absolutely
needs to address after the
elections?
4. Are there any parties
you would refuse to form a
government with?
5. Iceland's immigrant popu-
lation—which includes
those who are now citizens,
capable of voting in parlia-
mentary elections—is over
15%, but this is not reflected
in the number of immigrants
currently in Parliament. How
would you account for this?
What do you hope your party
can do to change this for the
better?
Guy Stewart, 8th on the list in the Reykjavík
South district for the Leftist-Green Party
1. I’ve worn several hats: actor, graphic
designer and teacher, in Canada and in
Iceland. What I enjoy most is reading aloud to
children and making things – mostly draw-
ing, painting and calligraphy – and nagging
people about the hydrogen economy.
2. The world is calling in our debt: in terms
of climate change, it’s time to pay the piper.
With the time I’ve got left, I want to unburden
our children of that debt as much as possible.
I think the most effective way is to invest that
time in the Left-Green Movement under the
leadership of Katrín Jakobsdóttir. Economics,
migrant issues, innovation, welfare—every
major issue must take account of climate
change. In Iceland, no other political force
is so invested in that battle, and frankly no
one else is united enough to engage in it
effectively.
3. In my opinion, after climate change, the
most immediate crisis facing everybody is
the threat COVID presents to the health care
system. I hate to think of where we would be
if not for Svandís Svavarsdóttir in our corner.
A strong vote for the Left-Greens is a clear
mandate to support health care workers and
improve service.
Secondly, I look forward to the comple-
tion of initiatives started by the Left-Greens
this term, such as the constitutional changes
proposed by Katrín, and the Mi"hálendis-
!jó"gar"ur. After a long list of solid accom-
plishments, these are a legislative priority.
The third issue isn’t legislative but
cultural. Polarization and talking past each
other is one of the great challenges of our
time, and Katrín is exemplary in actual
engagement! Parliamentarians have to be
able to talk to each other if they’re going to
accomplish anything.
4. Of course I have my own predispositions.
My lefty trajectory is from the Arts & Crafts
Movement—beauty, nature, honour, chivalry.
So when chivalry’s rampant steed is appro-
priated as a logo by the enemies of chival-
rous ideals, it rubs me the wrong way. But
I hope I can transcend my own limitations
and work with people who are prepared to
sacrifice in order to work with the Left-Green
team. It’s a matter of character. I know Katrín
steers by the star of our environmental and
social ideals, and nobody does it better. The
government she negotiates will be the swift-
est possible way to our goals. It’s not as if we
have all the time in the world.
5. Of course we want people to be represented,
and to have a voice. Time is a factor. In my
case it took several years living here—and the
2008 crash—to see myself as being invested
enough to seek citizenship. I was brought up
to view citizenship as a duty to participate
actively in democracy. Not everyone has that
sense of agency, or feels welcomed with open
arms. Then there’s the challenge of language.
Aside from free language lessons, we must
actively encourage self-efficacy. One inter-
esting sign of agency is the appearance of
Kópur, a labour union addressing the needs
of workers of foreign extraction. Many such
workers endure criminal exploitation.