Vopnafjörður Councilmember Criticised For Speaking English

At a recent council meeting in Vopnafjörður, Progressive and Unaffiliated Party representative and council member Bobana Micanovic was criticised for speaking English, RÚV reports.

On February 10, Bobana announced that she will not seek reelection, citing communication issues and the behaviour of the opposition chair. In an article penned for Austurfréttir, Bobana — who originally hails from Montenegro — accused the chair of the opposition party Bjartur Aðalbjörnsson of discrimination towards people with limited Icelandic skills.

During a session, Bobana is said to have spoken briefly in English, with Bjartur interrupting her saying, “Við tölum íslensku hér (We speak Icelandic here).” Furthermore, he is said to have asked the chairperson of the meeting to stop the session.

“During a democratic process, I find it most important that people have the opportunitity to participate in discussions and voice their opinions,” Bobana told RÚV.

Responding to the clash, Bjartur told RÚV he felt unhappy reading the accusations, particularly because he has been open-minded towards immigrants in the community. He rejects the claim that English was necessary at the time. “It doesn’t work to speak English during council sessions. Not everyone understands English,” he told RÚV.