Iceland review - 2013, Page 71

ICELAND REVIEW 69
Icelandic politics are in turmoil. Faith in politicians collapsed
along with the banks in 2008 and has not been restored
since—a 2012 Capacent Gallup survey concluded that 90
percent of respondents have little trust in Alþingi, the parlia-
ment. Founded in 930, it’s the world’s oldest existing parlia-
mentary institution.
Comprised of 63 MPs, the parliament is Iceland’s legislative assem-
bly. Ministers of the coalition government have a seat in parliament,
alongside government and opposition MPs, and must abide by the
will of the majority of parliamentarians. The Prime Minister is the
most powerful person in Iceland while the President serves as a
figurative leader.
The vast majority of seats usually go to fjórflokkurinn: the right-
leaning Independence Party, the central Progressive Party, and the
left-leaning Social Democratic Alliance and Left-Green Movement.
For the first time in the Independence Party’s eight-decade his-
tory, it was not the largest party after the 2009 election. The Social
Democrats won the election and forged the country’s first all-left
coalition with the Left-Greens. However, recent surveys indicate that
the Independence Party may reclaim its position in the next election,
in April 2013.
THe Main PLayerS
Former Mayor of Reykjavík Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir won
convincingly in the Reykjavík Constituency primary for the
Independence Party, while chairman Bjarni Benediktsson scram-
bled for the first seat in the Southwest. Calls are being made for
Hanna Birna to contest Bjarni for chair but she has already lost
against him once.
With PM Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir retiring, two candidates have
Winds oF change?
come forth as potential future leaders of the Social Democrats: MP
Árni Páll Árnason and Minister of Welfare Guðbjartur Hannesson.
Some consider Árni Páll too conservative while Guðbjartur was
criticized for raising the salary of a hospital director amidst cutbacks,
later revoked.
The Left-greens have lost credibility due to compromises on
the EU membership application and other basic party policies.
Internal party struggle caused three members to leave this term.
Even so, chairman Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, Minister of Industries
and Innovation, remains the party’s undisputed leader.
Chairman of the Progressive Party Sigmundur Davíð Gunn-
laugs son made an unexpected move when he decided to run for
the first seat in the Northeast Constituency, the party’s stronghold,
instead of the Reykjavík or Southwest Constituencies. It’s uncertain
whether the decision will strengthen the party’s position.
THe new PLayerS
Björt framtíð (‘Bright Future’) is a new party which builds on the
Best Party, a candidacy which many voters took as a joke until it
made comedian Jón Gnarr Mayor of Reykjavík. He will run for the
party’s fifth seat in the Reykjavík North Constituency.
Other new parties include Píratapartíið (‘The Pirate Party’),
led by MP Birgitta Jónsdóttir, who has worked with WikiLeaks,
Dögun (‘Dawn’), which has recruited presidential candidate
Andrea J. Ólafsdóttir, and the right-greens, chaired by radio pre-
senter Guðmundur Franklín Jónsson.
Other possible candidacies have been mentioned and new par-
ties may still pop up in time for the election but to secure seats in
parliament they must earn at least five percent of votes. 
* 66.3 percent want the
Constitutional Council’s
proposals to form the
basis of a new draft
Constitution;
* 82.9 percent want
natural resources that are
not privately owned to be
declared national property;
* 57.1 percent want
provisions in the new
Constitution on an estab-
lished (national) church;
* 78.4 percent want to
authorize the election of
particular individuals to
parliament;
* 66.5 percent want to
give equal weight to votes
cast in all parts of the
country;
* 73.3 percent want the
new Constitution to state
that a certain proportion
of the electorate is able to
demand that issues be put
to a referendum.
In a national referendum
on october 20, 2012,
voters were asked their
opinions on proposals
made by the Constitutional
Council for a new
Constitution of Iceland.
The majority of voters
said ‘yes’ to all six questions
on the ballot.
Half of the electorate went
to the polls.
As the referendum is
non-binding, Alþingi, the
Icelandic parliament, will
ultimately decide whether
the draft will be used as
a guideline for a new
Constitution, to replace the
existing Constitution from
1944, when the Republic
of Iceland was founded.
The first round of
discussions about the
Constitution bill began in
Alþingi in November.