Iceland review - 2013, Side 6

4 ICELAND REVIEW
after the election on April 27, 2013, we
will have new people, a new generation
of politicians governing Iceland. Prime
Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir will quit after 35
years on the frontline of politics. Another old dog,
Minister of Industries and Innovation Steingrímur
J. Sigfússon, left his post as chairman of the Left
Green Movement, the party he founded 14 years
ago, earlier this spring. He has been a member of
Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, for 30 years and
minister for the last four.
It will not be an easy task to govern Iceland in
the coming four-year term. The biggest challenge
for the next government is what to do about our
króna, the world’s smallest independent currency.
Other questions the new leaders must answer are
whether we should join the European Union and
how we can attract new foreign investments to
stimulate the economic growth we so desperately
need. And how can we do that while under such
strict capital controls? The króna is in prison. The
key is lost.
But one thing we know for sure: a record num-
ber of tourists will visit the Republic. Nine hun-
dred thousand foreigners—three times the popula-
tion of Iceland.
And all these people do not care who governs
Iceland. They want to see a burning volcano, a
happy horse, the perfect wind, the vastness of the
sea and, of course, a real Viking.
Can they find one?
The Vikings lived here 1,000 years ago. I think
all of them are having their long sleep.
Páll Stefánsson
ps@icelandreview.com
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From the editor
EDITOR
Páll Stefánsson
DEPUTY AND
fEATUREs EDITORs
Ásta Andrésdóttir (on leave)
Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir
DEsIGN
Erlingur Páll Ingvarsson
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERs
Anna Moiseeva
Áslaug Snorradóttir
Eirný Sigurðardóttir
Guðni Th. Jóhannesson
Mica Allan
Zoë Robert
CONTRIBUTING
PhOTOGRAPhERs
Áslaug Snorradóttir
Geir Ólafsson
Gunnar V. Andrésson
Ólafur K. Magnússon
Spessi
Vilborg Arna Gissurardóttir
WEB EDITOR
Zoë Robert
COPY EDITORs
Julie Ingham
Zoë Robert
PRODUCTION
Erlingur Páll Ingvarsson
COLOR PRODUCTION
Páll Kjartansson
ADVERTIsING sALEs
Helga Möller
COVER PhOTO
Páll Stefánsson
Advertising Sales helga@heimur.is
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A HAppy Horse And An old dog
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