BENEDICT (VIKTOR) GOMBOCZ

Politics of Iceland

Geography of Iceland

Location: Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom

Area Total: 103,000 sq km Country comparison to the world: 108 Land: 100,250 sq km Water: 2,750 sq km

Area – comparative: Slightly smaller than Kentucky

Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 4,970 km

Physical Map of Iceland

Religion in Iceland

Norse paganism, a mutual faith among the mediaeval Scandinavians until they converted to Christianity, was initially religion in Iceland, which subsequently became partly Christian and then mostly Christian.

This growing Christianization concluded in the Pietism era, during which non-Christian practices were forbidden.

Iceland, at present, is predominantly, if nominally, Lutheran, but Christian minorities, such as Baptist, Catholic, and Jehovah’s Witnesses also exist.

Germanic Heathenism is, after Christianity, the second biggest religion.

In 2011, a Gallup poll concluded that 60% of Icelanders believed religion was insignificant in their everyday lives; this is one of the largest irreligion rates in the world.

Religion statistics

Lutheran Church of Iceland (official): 80.7% Roman Catholic: 2.5% Reykjavík Free Church: 2.4% Hafnarfjorour Free Church: 1.6% Other religions: 3.6% Unaffiliated: 3% Other or unspecified: 6.2% (2006 est.)

Roman Catholic church, Reykjavík

Background of Iceland’s political system

The political system of Iceland functions in the structure of a parliamentary representative democratic republic; the PM of Iceland serves as the head of government, and of a multi-party structure.

Iceland is debatably the oldest existing parliamentary democracy in the world.

The government exercises executive power. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament,

the Althing. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

Government of Iceland

Capital (and largest city): Reykjavík

National language: Icelandic Demonym: Icelander, Icelandic Government: Unitary

parliamentary constitutional republic

President: Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson

Prime Minister: Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir

Speaker of the Althing: Ásta Ragnheiður Jóhannesdóttir

Legislature: Althing (Alþingi)

Parties registered for the 27 April 2013 parliamentary elections

Bright Future (Björt framtíð) Progressive Party (Framsóknarflokkur) Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkur) Right-Green Movement (Hægri Grænir) Humanist Party - related to International Humanist

Party (Húmanistaflokkurinn) Households Party – New party founded on 19

March 2013, as a merger of eight groups: Republican Party, Sovereign Union, Sjálfstæðir Sjálfstæðismenn,Þjóðarflokkurinn, 3 interest groups, and a split from Solidarity (Flokkur Heimilanna)

Rainbow – New party founded in March 2013 (Regnboginn)

Sturla Jónsson (Sturla Jónsson) Democracy Watch – a new party split from Dawn

(Lýðræðisvaktin) Rural Party – New party founded on 23 February

2013 (Landsbyggðarflokkurinn) People’s Front of Iceland (Alþýðufylkingin) Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin —

jafnaðarmannaflokkur Íslands) Dawn (Dögun) Left-Green Movement (Vinstrihreyfingin — grænt

framboð) Pirate Party (Pírataflokkurinn)

Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson

Born 14 May 1943 in Ísafjörður. 5th and current President of Iceland, having

assumed office on 1 August 1996; ran unopposed in 2000, was re-elected for a third term in 2004, was re-elected unopposed for a fourth term in 2008, and was re-elected for a record fifth term in 2012.

Studied economics and political science at the University of Manchester between 1962-1970; became the first Icelander, in 1970, to obtain a PhD in political science.

Subsequently became a lecturer in political science at the University of Iceland, also in 1970, and then a Professor of Political Science at the same university, in 1973; was that university’s first Professor of Political Science.

Participated in a debate, in 1984, alongside three other left-wing scholars, with economist Milton Friedman, who was on a visit to Iceland to deliver a lecture on the “tyranny of the status quo” at the University of Iceland.

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir

Born 4 October 1942 in Reykjavík. Current PM of Iceland; assumed office on 1

February 2009. MP since 1978; served as Iceland’s Minister of

Social Affairs and Social Security twice: between 1987-1994 and 2007-2009.

Has served as a member of the Althing for Reykjavík constituencies since 1978; was re-elected on eight consecutive occasions.

Became the first female PM of Iceland and the world’s first openly lesbian head of government upon taking office on 1 February 2009.

Is a social democrat and the lengthiest serving MP in Iceland.

Raised her fist and said “Minn tími mun koma!” (“My time will come!”), a phrase that went on to become an admired Icelandic expression, when, in the 1990s, she lost a proposal to lead the Social Democratic Party.

Was listed among the 100 Most Powerful Women in the world by Forbes magazine, in 2009.

Announced in September 2012 that she will not run for re-election and will step down from political life instead.

Ásta Ragnheiður Jóhannesdóttir

Born 16 October 1949 in Reykjavík.

Current speaker of the Althing. Briefly served as Iceland’s

Minister of Social Affairs and Social Security from 1 February 2009-10 May 2009.

Has served in the Althing since 1995.

Bright Future

Founded on 4 February 2012. Included two MPs, Guðmundur

Steingrímsson (defected from the Progressive Party) and Róbert Marshall (defected from the Social Democratic Alliance) prior to the 2013 general election.

Subsequently gained six seats in the election.

Endorses Icelandic membership in the European Union and adopting the Euro as Iceland’s currency.

Has ties to the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the EP.

The End (Endir)