Democracy Thrives In The Mess

Why a recent resignation of an Icelandic Minister is a sign of a healthy democracy

Iceland’s Minister of Education and Children’s Affairs, Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir, resigned earlier this year amidst a scandal that made headlines here in Iceland and notably around the entire world. The controversy involved accusations that decades ago she conceived a child with a teenager for whom she supposedly had a professional duty of care. It was Iceland’s Jerry Springer moment.

Major international outlets from the BBC to CNN covered the story extensively. Iceland typically only grabs global attention for volcanoes or economic meltdowns, making this a rare but somewhat embarrassing exception. Watching Iceland’s personal-political drama unfold on the world stage has been awkward, even cringeworthy. But beneath this embarrassment lies an important reality about what functioning democracy looks like.

Democracy is supposed to be messy, and it’s exactly that messiness that makes it worth protecting.

There is plenty of room to debate whether private issues should force politicians to resign. Many Icelanders rightly question the fairness of scrutinising leaders’ personal lives. Yet the mere fact that Icelanders are having this debate openly, without fear or suppression, says a lot about the health of our political system.

Historically, Iceland has maintained a deep commitment to democratic values and transparency, tracing its democratic origins back to Alþingi in 930 AD. We regularly rank as one of the world’s most transparent and democratic nations, even if we’ve also earned the dubious honour of being labelled the most corrupt Nordic country. But that’s another story entirely! Democracy isn’t about perfection. It’s about constantly demanding accountability despite human imperfection.

And of course, Iceland’s democracy isn’t perfect. Politicians here have weathered scandals and failures before. Accountability remains fragile and contentious, even in countries praised for transparency. Yet this fragility is actually democracy’s strength. Constant scrutiny and debate make it resilient.
“Democracy is supposed to be messy, and it’s exactly that messiness that makes it worth protecting.”

Today, in a world increasingly dominated by authoritarianism, misinformation, and leaders like [redacted] and [redacted], who prefer burying scandals to facing scrutiny, Iceland’s recent controversy stands out. We captured global attention not because of geopolitical drama or leaders dodging accountability, but precisely because accountability was openly and publicly demanded.

These personal scandals might seem trivial compared to global crises, but they are democracy in action. Too many countries have allowed accountability to slip away, political norms to crumble, and trust to vanish. Iceland’s messy controversy is exactly what democracy looks like when it’s working.

Democracy thrives in the mess. It requires open debate, disagreements, and uncomfortable confrontations. Holding leaders accountable is supposed to be tough, even embarrassing. That discomfort is the whole point.

Given the increasingly frightening state of global politics, Icelanders should appreciate what we have here. Transparency and accountability are rare commodities today. Our politicians still respond to public expectations, and that commitment deserves recognition and vigorous defence.

Hopefully, the next time Iceland makes global headlines it’s for winning Eurovision. Until then, let’s keep proudly demonstrating to the world what a healthy democracy truly looks like.