Iceland review - 2013, Side 26

24 ICELAND REVIEW
After almost 35 years in politics and four
years as government leader, Prime Minister
of Iceland Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir—who,
according to Forbes was among the world’s
100th most powerful women in 2009 and
2010—is retiring. But who is this woman,
the country’s first female premier and the
world’s first openly gay head of state?onwards into battle and towards victory!”
Jóhanna sigurðardóttir commands in her final
speech as leader of samfylkingin (the social
democratic alliance; sda) on february 1,
2013—exactly four years after taking over as
prime Minister. Jóhanna accepts her party members’ roaring applause with
a self-assured smile and arms raised before leaving the stage.
DEMoCraT To THE CorE
“Jóhanna is a visionary, taking the cause of little people … those who are
ill, unemployed, with disabilities. she is a socialist, a democrat. it’s in her
blood,” says rÚV news anchor and parliamentary correspondent Jóhanna
Vigdís hjaltadóttir.
Jóhanna’s father, sigurður egill ingimundarson (1913-1978) was an
Mp and director of the social insurance administration and his mother,
Jóhanna guðlaug egilsdóttir (1881-1982), an Mp and famous union leader,
who, at 100, was still politically active.
already while working as a flight attendant in her twenties, it was clear
what path Jóhanna would take. “she looked up to her grandmother
very much,” comments former colleague at loftleiðir (icelandic airways)
steinunn sigurðardóttir. “it doesn’t surprise me at all that she
moved into politics.”
Jóhanna entered alþingi, the parliament, as Mp for
alþýðuflokkurinn (social democratic party; sdp), in 1978. “My
grandmother fought all her life for more equal rights between
men and women and i took over from her,” says Jóhanna. she
served as Minister for social affairs from 1987 and until leaving
the coalition of sjálfstæðisflokkurinn (independence party; ip) and
the sdp—the government of davíð oddsson and Jón Baldvin
hannibalsson—one year before the term ended in 1994.
“these were difficult times for Jóhanna. she was vice-chair of
the sdp when Jón Baldvin and Jón sigurðsson [former Mp and
minister] decided to adopt a liberal policy, promote privatization.
she disapproved and found, as vice-chair, that she was being
sidelined,” recounts friðrik sophusson, Minister of finance for the
ip at the time.
“you BaSTarD!”
“at a party convention in hafnarfjörður 1992, Jóhanna took the
stage and harshly attacked her own government, accusing it
of betrayal,” recollects Jón Baldvin. “i immediately responded,
scolding Jóhanna both for being self-centered and unfair. i said,
among other things: ‘We, social democrats, are not communists.
We don’t see the world in black and white. We don’t demand
everything—or nothing. We make compromises with our opponents
if that helps move our agendas in the right direction …’
“everything went crazy. Jóhanna was grossly displeased that she
was spoken back to ... Many tried to make peace. photographers
flocked towards us. i walked over to Jóhanna, smiling, and raised
her right hand into the air—as a sign of solidarity, after all. the
pictures show that Jóhanna scowled at me, uttering something.
Her Time is Up
By EyglÓ Svala arNarSDÓTTir
PHOTO By PÁll STEfÁNSSoN
u october 4, 1942: Born in Reykjavík.
u 1960: Graduates with Retail Trade School
Examination.
u 1962-1971: Works as a flight attendant at
Loftleiðir (Icelandic Airways; now Icelandair)
and chairs the Icelandic Cabin Crew
Association 1966-67 and 1969-70.
u february 28, 1970: Marries banker
Þorvaldur Steinar Jóhannesson, whom she
later divorces. They have two sons: Sigurður
Egill (born 1972) and Davíð Steinar (born
1977).
u 1971-1978: Office worker at Kassagerðin
(Central Packing) in Reykjavík.
u 1976-1983: Board member of the Trade
union of Reykjavík.
u 1978: Elected to parliament for the first
time as MP for the SDP.
u 1984-1993: Vice-chair of the SDP.
u 1987-1994: Minister for Social Affairs.
u 1994: Loses against Jón Baldvin
Hannibalsson in a bid for SDP chair and
founds a new political party, NA.
u 1995: NA, which she chairs, has four
MPs elected to Alþingi.
u 2000: NA merges with the new party
the SDA.