In his annual New Year Address, President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson declared that he will not seek re-election in the upcoming presidential elections. Icelanders will vote for a new president in June 2024. The new president will commence their term on August 1, 2024.
Guðni has served the presidency since 2016, receiving a simple majority vote of 39%. During his 2016 campaign, he claimed he would not serve more than 12 years as president.
Regarding the reason to not seek re-election, the president admits to let his heart guide the way.
“In a thriving democracy, moreover, no one is irreplaceable. Devotion to duty based on a misunderstanding of one’s own importance should never be the overriding consideration; even less so should one’s own vanity or private advantage determine our course of action,” the president said in the address.
Guðni’s service to the presidency will be remembered by his devotion to the Icelandic language, his loveable persona and the great pizza-topping controversy.
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