From Iceland — Opposition Takes Hit, Ruling Coalition Gains Ground In New Poll

Opposition Takes Hit, Ruling Coalition Gains Ground In New Poll

Published May 3, 2016

Andie Sophia Fontaine
Photo by
Art Bicnick

The results of a new Gallup poll show the Independence Party surpassing the Pirates for the first time in over a year. Other opposition parties did not fare much better.

RÚV reports that the Pirate Party dropped in support by about 9% since last month, and are now at 26.6%. These latest results have broken the Pirates’ year-long streak of being at the top of the polls, with the Independence Party now surpassing them, standing now at 27% – up only slightly from last month. This is the first time the Independence Party has surpassed the Pirates in a Gallup poll since April 2015.

At the same time, the Progressive Party saw a significant upswing of support, from about 7% in the previous poll to 10.5% today. Support for the ruling coalition as a whole rose as well, from 34% to 37.3%.

The Pirates were not the only opposition party to lose support, either. The Social Democrats took a small dip to 8.3%; the Left-Greens also lost some support, standing now at 18.4%; and Bright Future saw little change from the previous poll, holding steady at about 5%.

The poll was conducted April 14 to 28, during a time when coverage of the Panama Papers leak was extensive, and implicated members of the ruling coalition, including former Prime Minister and Progressive chairperson Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson.

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