A group of environmentalists recently surveyed voters in Iceland, to gauge interest in a new political party with an emphasis on environmental issues, Fréttablaðið reports.
Almost half the voters said that they would consider voting for such a party, with most support for coming from those who have previously voted for the Left-Greens, the Pirates and the conservative Independence Party, and from those between the ages of 18 and 34. In the opinion of many who took the survey, the Left-Green Party has failed to be the representative of environmental issues and the fight for social justice that is needed in Parliament.
During the election period, two MPs resigned from the Left-Green parliamentary party, Andrés Ingi Jónsson and Rósa Björk Brynjólfsdóttir. While they have publicly spoken about their reasons for leaving, they have not stated if they will be active in setting up this new political force. The party’s deputy member of parliament, Eydís Blöndal, also resigned from the party. She and Rósa Björk both referred to the deportation of the Egyptian family from Iceland as the last straw.
The party’s former candidate, Hildur Knútsdóttir, followed with a statement that she could not vote for the party, praising Rósa Björk for supporting the refugees, and advertised on her Facebook page for a political party that has the environment, equality and humanity in mind. Hildur is the chairman of the Climate Fund, as appointed by the Minister of the Environment and Vice-Chairman of the Left-Green Party, Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson.
There has been talk of a new political force for environmentalists since the last election, according to opinion polls, and the group is reportedly still assessing the status and results of the survey, with a decision being made soon.
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