An MP who left the Progressive Party today has confirmed that he is considering starting a new political party in Iceland, but what form could it take?
As reported, MP Guðmundur Steingrímsson – whose father was chairman of the Progressive Party at one point, as was his father before him – decided to leave the party today, citing differences of opinion about Iceland joining the European Union (he supports it; the party does not) and over differences in “outlook”.
Numerous other Progressives have joined the fray, among them G. Valdimar Valdemarsson and Andrés Pétursson of the Kópavogur Progressives, as well as alternate MP Einar Skúlason, who quit both the party and his position today.
Whereas Guðmundur was reticent yesterday about starting a new political party, neither confirming nor denying the rumour, he today admitted to the possibility, and even described a thumbnail sketch of a possible platform.
“We need a liberal, internationalist, green centrist party in Iceland,” he told RÚV. “As far as I can tell there are plenty of people calling for such a party to be formed, but there’s no rush.”
In the meantime, Progressive chairman Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson expects that more people will leave the party. However, he maintains that more people are joining the Progressives than are leaving.
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