Poll: Pirates, Progressives And Left-Greens See Rise In Support In Reykjavík City Council

A new poll from Þjóðarpúls Gallup shows that while the Independence Party remains strongest, three parties have seen a significant rise in support since Reykjavík City Council elections in 2018.

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Residents of Iceland’s capital are set to vote for a new city council on May 14th. The current majority is led by the Social Democrats (seven seats), and also comprised of the Pirate Party (two seats), the Left-Greens (one seat) and the Reform Party (two seats), while the opposition is comprised of the Socialist Party (one seat), the Centre Party (one seat), the Independence Party (eight seats) and the People’s Party (one seat).

If elections were held today, the Independence Party would again get the largest share of the vote, but their support has fallen somewhat, from 30.8% in 2018 to 26.4% today. The Social Democrats also saw a drop in support, from 25.9% to 21.1%.

Meanwhile, the Pirate Party has risen from 7.7% in 2018 to 13% today; the Left-Greens went from 4.6% to 8.6%; and the Progressive Party–who currently do not have a seat in city council–went from 3.2% to 9.9%.

The Reform Party and the People’s Party have hung onto the support they got in 2018, and are still polling at 8.2% and 4.6%, respectively. The Socialists saw a slight decline in support, from 6.4% to 5.8%, while the Centre Party went from 6% to 2.2%, and would likely not win a seat in city council if elections were held today.

For the record, you do not have to be an Icelandic citizen to vote in city council elections; 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. For more on who these parties are and where they stand, check out our handy political party guide.