Iceland review - 2013, Síða 80

78 ICELAND REVIEW
this location, this beautiful building in the countryside, is
symbolic for what we stand for. Here we are in close con-
tact with agriculture, tourism, education, youth work and
geothermal heat—which was used for baking bread last night,”
chair of Framsóknarflokkurinn (Progressive Party; PP) Sigmundur
Davíð gunnlaugsson opened his address to the press before he and
Bjarni Benediktsson, chair of Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn (Independence
Party; IP), signed their coalition agreement in the old district
school at Laugarvatn in South Iceland on May 22. Their govern-
ment, with Sigmundur as prime minister and Bjarni as finance
minister, formally took office the following day.
oN tHe PAgeS of HIStory
At 38, Sigmundur is the youngest PM in the history of the
Republic of Iceland. Sigmundur also holds the record of being
the youngest ruling democratically-elected state leader in the
world—only Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un (30)
and King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (33) are
younger. “This is news to me,” Sigmundur smiles as I inform him
of the record. “I find it interesting, of course. As prime minister, I
will implement new work methods, listen to good ideas from dif-
ferent directions and think outside the box—although that doesn’t
necessarily have to do with me being young.”
Sigmundur’s government comprises of four ministers from the
PP and five from the IP, none of whom have held ministerial
posts before. Such an inexperienced government has not ruled
the country since Iceland’s independence from Denmark in 1944.
Twenty-seven new MPs, of a total 63, were elected to Alþingi, the
Icelandic parliament, in the general election on April 27, 2013.
Among them is 21-year-old farmer Jóhanna María Sigmundsdóttir
of the PP, the youngest person ever to be elected to parliament in
Iceland (see page 82).
The election was historic. In addition to the conventional four
parties: the conservative IP, center PP and the two left-wing former
coalition parties, Samfylkingin (Social Democratic Alliance; SDA)
and Vinstrihreyfingin grænt framboð (Left green Movement; LgM),
15 new parties ran for a seat in parliament. Never before since the
Republic of Iceland was established have as many parties been in
the running. Two new parties earned seats in parliament, the center
Björt framtíð (Bright Future; BF) and unorthodox Píratapartýið (the
Pirate Party; PiP). While the IP and PP celebrated their victory with
a combined support of 52 percent of the electoral vote, the SDA
and LgM had to face a combined loss of 28 percent compared to
the 2009 election—the biggest defeat of any party in the history of
Icelandic politics.
goverNMeNt AgreeMeNt HIgHLIgHtS
Among the issues both parties emphasized during their campaigns
and followed up on in their coalition talks is terminating the
European Union accession process. The talks will now be halted
indefinitely and not resumed until a national referendum rules in
favor of continued talks. When and if such a referendum will take
place is undecided.
Notably, there will be no special minister for the environment, for
the first time since 1989—at least to begin with. Environmental pro-
tection is to be upheld by the center-right coalition, yet the frame-
work agreement on protected areas introduced by the former gov-
ernment will be revoked. Instead, “professional” evaluation of areas
destined for energy production, geothermal or hydro, is to be carried
out. A new environmental impact assessment (EIA) for Bjarnarflag
in Northeast Iceland has been called for as a geothermal power
plant may jeopardize the nearby Ramsar-listed Lake Mývatn. “The
need for a new EIA is currently being evaluated. If that evaluation is
not completed by the time the old EIA expires—at the end of this
year—a new EIA must naturally be carried out,” says Sigmundur.
Chinese investor Huang Nubo made headlines around the world
Leaders of the new Government of Iceland, Sigmundur davíð gunnlaugsson
and Bjarni Benediktsson, signed their coalition agreement at Laugarvatn,
South Iceland, on May 22. Iceland Review interviewed the new PM.
BY Eygló Svala arnarSdóTTir
Young guns