PM Waffles On Early Elections Date

There is still no official date for early parliamentary elections – and that includes what month they will be held.

Prime Minister Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson told RÚV that “there is no doubt” that elections will be held in the autumn, rather than in late spring 2017. When pressed for greater precision, however, he could not offer more exact details than this.

The Prime Minister said that there are a number of key pieces of legislation that the ruling coalition wants to pass first – touching on everything from housing to health care – before they took a closer look at when to hold early elections. At the same time, he said it was important to “have a good relationship with the opposition”, as well as to build up the trust of the general public in the government.

While saying that he is certain there will be elections in the autumn, he would give no date for them. Even when asked if they will be held in September or October – arguably the only autumn months in Iceland – the Prime Minister declined to answer.

Opposition party leadership have already expressed confidence that the ruling coalition will stand by their word when it comes to autumn elections.

Despite both ruling coalition and opposition MPs alike seemingly satisfied with autumn elections, the latest poll shows that the largest share of Icelanders want immediate parliamentary dissolution, with elections to follow much sooner than the autumn.