UPDATE: April Fool’s!!
Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir will hold a press conference at Kjarvalsstaðir today to formally announce that she is running for the office of President of Iceland. Jakobsdóttir, who has served as Prime Minister since 2017, has not ruled out the possibility of holding both offices, but she said that she would prefer to focus on one job at a time.
If elected, Jakobsdóttir would be the second woman to serve as President of Iceland, after Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, who served from 1980 to 1996.
In a statement released ahead of the press conference, Jakobsdóttir said that she would focus on three main issues if elected President: gender equality, leaving NATO and nature preservation. “Iceland is a country with a long history of gender equality, but there is still more work to be done,” Jakobsdóttir said. “I believe that we need to continue to work to ensure that women have the same opportunities as men in all areas of life.”
Jakobsdóttir also said that she would work to take Iceland out of the NATO intergovernmental military alliance. Iceland has been a member of NATO since 1949, but Jakobsdóttir believes that the country would be better off outside of the alliance. “Iceland is a small country, and we do not need to be part of a military alliance,” Jakobsdóttir said. “We can defend ourselves without NATO, and we would be better off focusing on our own security.”
Finally, Jakobsdóttir said that she would work to protect Iceland’s natural environment. Iceland is home to some of the most beautiful and pristine natural landscapes in the world, and Jakobsdóttir said that she would work to ensure that these landscapes are protected for future generations. “Iceland is a unique country, and we have a responsibility to protect our natural environment,” Jakobsdóttir said. “I will work to ensure that Iceland’s natural beauty is preserved for future generations.” The news of Jakobsdóttir’s potential presidential bid did not come as a complete surprise.
Earlier today, local news site visir.is reported that the domain katrinjakobs.is had been reserved on March 26, prompting speculation that Jakobsdóttir might be planning a run.
More details about this afternoon’s press conference can be found here.
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