Minister of Finance Bjarni Benediktsson lambasted a recent poll on how the general public perceives the personality traits of different politicians, himself included, and disagrees with how the public views its elected officials.
The poll in question asked respondents what personality traits they most and least associate with a selection of politicians, comprising the chairpersons of every political party in parliament, Reykjavík mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson, and President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson. The poll did not reflect well upon the ruling coalition, led in part by Bjarni.
Kjarninn reports that Bjarni was none too pleased with the poll, criticising the results and disagreeing with the opinions of the general public.
“I have worked with them all, and know many of them quite well,” Bjarni wrote on Facebook, in reference to the politicians featured in the poll. “This is why I know personally that they can work well under pressure, they respect the opinions of others, and are honourable people that one can trust.”
Bjarni further questioned how it would even be possible to survey people on the subject of politicians’ personality traits.
“How is it possible to contend that an individual who started their own political party and was elected alongside other members of parliament is not a leader, whether they’re born that way or not?,” he asked, and then chided that it is perhaps unsurprising that he does not understand this “as 95% believe I am not at all in touch with the general public.”
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