Reykjavík City Elections: Majority Holds, But Conservatives Gain

A new Gallup poll shows that the Reykjavík City Council majority is holding its ground, but has lost some support due to the virtual disappearance of Bright Future. While both the Pirates and the Left-Greens have made gains, so too have the conservatives in the opposition.

According to the results of a Gallup poll conducted for business magazine Viðskiptablaðið, the majority coalition – currently comprised of the Social Democrats, Bright Future, the Pirate Party and the Left-Greens – would still hold its ground, albeit with the loss of Bright Future, if elections were held today. While support for the Social Democrats has decreased from 32% to 26%, the Pirates saw a rise in support from 5.9% to 13.3%, and the Left-Greens went from 8.3% to 13.3%.

At the same time, Bright Future has dropped precipitously, from 15.6% to 2.4%. Nonetheless, the majority would have a total of 13 seats out of 23 in Reykjavík City Council if elections were held today.

Changes have also taken place amongst opposition parties. The Progressives, who won 10.7% of the vote in 2014, winning two seats, are currently polling at 2.9%, wiping them off the charts. However, two new parties – the Reform Party and the People’s Party – are now polling at 6.4% and 4.8% respectively, giving them each a seat on city council. The Independence Party, the largest party in the opposition, has seen their support increase slightly, from 25.7% to 29.7%.

Municipal elections will be held on May 26, and not just for Icelandic citizens. Nordic nationals who have been living in Iceland for three consecutive years prior to the elections may vote. For all other foreigners, that period is five years. Regardless of national origin, only those who have had legal residence in Reykjavík at least three weeks prior to election day may vote for Reykjavík City Council.