Author: Colin Arnold Dalrymple - The Reykjavik Grapevine

Cruising or Crashing? Iceland’s Economy in 2019

by

This year marked the tenth anniversary of the country’s economic collapse, bringing unprecedented attention to Iceland. The tourist salvation is…

Iceland’s Prime Minister Joins Bernie Sanders’ Progressive International

by

Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Iceland’s left-wing Prime Minister, announced on Facebook her support for a new international progressive movement, Stundin reports. In…

Inflation In Iceland Highest In Five Years

by

Statistics Iceland released a new report that shows a 3.3% rate of inflation over the last twelve months, RÚV reports….

WOW Air Employees WILL Be Paid On Friday

by

WOW Air’s chief financial officer, Stefán Sigurðsson, sent an email this morning dismissing rumours that employees would not be paid…

Christmas Cat Cost Causes Controversy

by

The City of Reykjavík spent a total of 4.4 million ISK on a large LED Christmas Cat (Jólakötturinn) on Lækjartorg…

200 Attend Meeting On Iceland Silicon Plant Future

by

Around 200 Helgavík residents attended a meeting discussing plans to reopen the bankrupt United Silicon plant, RÚV reports. A representative…

Safe Injection Site Plans Move Forward In Iceland

by

Plans to open a safe injection site for drug users in Reykjavík are moving forward according to Vísir. Minister of…

VIDEO: Young Social Democrats Stage Pro-Refugee Demonstration In Iceland

by

On Sunday, the youth wing of the Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) distributed pro-refugee stickers to counter a similar protest from…

Icelanders Protesting Changes To Disability Pensions

by

The Facebook page “Jæja” is organising a protest outside Parliament tonight. The event page decries the proposed cuts in disability…

Foreign Residents Increase By 16%, Despite Slowing Economy

by

The number of foreign residents has increased to 43,726 in early November despite the slowing economy, according to new data…

Rent In Reykjavik 3,000 ISK Per Square Metre

by

Rental prices in registered Reykjavík housing increased by 6.1%, and increased by 12.9% in neighbouring municipalities, RUV reports. Prices rose…

Women’s Day Off Sparks Controversy

by

On 24 October, thousands of women walked out of their jobs to protest sexual harassment, the persistent income gap, and…

25 Million ISK Spent On EEA Report

by

A report on Iceland’s membership in the European Economic Area (EEA) will cost taxpayers 25 million ISK, RÚV reports, from…

Failed Icelandic Bank Linked to Manchester City Scandal

by

An investigation by German magazine Der Spiegel shows that a subsidiary of a failed Icelandic bank was deeply involved in…

Icelandic Bank Loses Millions in Airline Bankruptcy

by

Arion Bank announced in its third quarter report that it lost 2.5 billion ISK ($20.7 million USD) in the bankruptcy…

More Than a Fifth of Icelandic Renters Fear Losing Homes

by

Iceland’s Housing Finance Fund (HFF) commissioned a study on the housing market that revealed the stark reality many renters face….

Competition Authority Rules Against Keflavík Airport Operator

by

The Competition Authority’s appeals board ruled that Isavia, the state-owned company managing Keflavík International Airport, was charging bus companies too…

Ending Exclusion: Iceland’s Public Broadcaster Increasing English Service

by

RÚV is Iceland’s public broadcasting service. Its mission is to inform, educate and entertain everyone. It operates several radio stations…

Iceland’s Tourism Minister Calls for Tourist Limits

by

Minister of Tourism Þórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir has called for limiting the number of visitors to certain sites, RÚV. The…

Night Bus Service In Reykjavik May End After New Year

by

The board of Strætó is considering whether late night bus service on weekends will continue after the new year, RÚV…

EU Funds for Hydrogen Buses In Iceland

by

The capital region bus company, Strætó, has received 95 million ISK from the European Union to purchase hydrogen-fuelled buses by…

Revisiting and Revising History: 10 Years After the Financial Crisis

by

October marks the tenth anniversary of the complete collapse of the Icelandic banking system. Several weeks after Lehman Brothers’ September…

Reykjavik Area Bus Service Hopes to Increase Rush Hour Service By 2020

by

22 members of the 23-seat Reykjavík City Council approved a resolution to investigate increasing rush-hour service on Strætó’s busiest lines,…

CCP Games Bought Out, Shifts Focus to Mobile and Hollywood

by

Pearl Abyss, the company behind the massively multiplayer online role-playing game ‘Black Desert Online,’ has bought the Icelandic gaming company…

Icelandic Bank Loses Millions in Airline Bankruptcy

by

Primera Air, a Denmark-based airline owned by Icelandic businessman Andri Már Ingólfsson, has filed for bankruptcy and ceased operating, RÚV…