MPs from every political party – including two from the ruling coalition itself – believe the time has come for new elections.
Lilja Mósesdóttir, an MP for the Leftist-Greens, told Fréttablaðið, “While many doubt that the Icelandic people can stand another election right now, I want to see them go forward in light of the voting in parliament,” referring to parliament voting to charge former prime minister Geir H. Haarde with negligence, while the other three ministers recommended by a special committee to face charges narrowly escaped.
Many on both the right and the left are angry at these results, as they believe the Social Democrats sought to protect their own – two Social Democrats were facing the possibility of charges – while shunting all the blame for the economic crash on the conservatives.
Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, an MP for the Progressives, wants to see elections in the winter – despite the fact that support for their party is at a record low. “I think the government has failed, and hasn’t come to grips with matters that need addressing,” he said in part.
Social Democrat MP Valgerður Bjarnadóttir doesn’t believe the voting is cause for new elections; she thinks that the government’s failure to deal with laws regarding fishing regulation could prompt such a move.
Conservatives have almost all expressed the desire to see new elections, and a joint statement from The Movement also calls for the same.
At the time of this writing, dozens of protesters are amassing in front of parliament for the opening day of the fall session.