Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir told reporters that she is “perplexed” by statements recently released by three Leftist-Green MPs that they would not support the ruling coalition if Magma Energy’s sale of HS Orka is not stopped.
As has been reported, the government is currently working to find a solution to the Magma question. Minister of Business and Economic Affairs Gylfi Magnússon told Vísir that, “It is quite clear that we need to change the law, especially with regards to foreign investment.” Minister of Finance Steingrímur J. Sigfússon told reporters that he doesn’t believe the government is threatened by the issue, and that a solution will be found.
However, the privatization and sale of energy and natural resources is contradictory to the platform of the Leftist-Green Party, which shares the coalition government with the Social Democrats. Three Leftist-Green MPs – Guðríður Lilja Grétarsdóttir, Atli Gíslason, and Þurríður Bachmann – have all said that they would not support the coalition if they feel the government did not do everything it could to stop the sale of HS Orka to Magma Energy.
Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, when asked for her reaction, told reporters, “It is very difficult to live with and unfortunate when members of parliament make statements that the government should collapse if this or that doesn’t happen. People are working together here and I am perplexed by some of these statements because there is a ministerial meeting ongoing to bring a conclusion to this matter.”