Reykjavík city councilperson and municipal chair of the Centre Party, Vigdís Hauksdóttir, engaged in a bit of name-calling Monday in a vicious debate between the Centre Party and the Pirate Party at a meeting of the Reykjavík City Council. There, she called Pirate Party member Dóra Björt Guðjónsdóttir the “dirtbag of the majority” (‘drullusokk meirihlutans’) and a “shit spreader” (‘skítadreifara’). After Vigdís’s astute and eloquent remarks, the president of the City Council, Pawel Baroszek, asked the city officials to watch their language.
The comments came after Dóra Björt gave a speech on the Reykjavík’s city budget, wherein she criticised the minority, especially the Independence Party. She also accused the Civic Party of chauvinism and isolationism for their criticism of foreign travel by city officials.
That’s when Vigdís stepped in with her creative language. “Here we have a City Councillor of the Majority who has undertaken to be the dirtbag of the majority,” she said, emphasising the word “dirtbag”.
She went on to say that since there is always so much criticism of the Independence Party, it would be easy to criticise the Centre Party. Dóra Björt had left the hall at this point. “The City Councillor has walked out of the hall and can’t stand hearing the truth,” Vigdís said. Dóra hadn’t gone far, though, and returned immediately.
“She stood here and called me, a council member in this hall, a dirtbag. Interesting. Well done, Vigdís,” Dóra told Vísir.
Back in July, Vigdís was accused of bullying her Chief of Staff, Helga Björg Ragnarsdóttir. The charges did not stick, and the court found Helga Björg to be in the wrong.
Iceland has always been guilty of admiring America a bit too much, so perhaps a little name-calling in city council should come as no surprise. Hopefully she doesn’t start calling us the “Fake News-Vine” soon. Sad!
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