Government
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Minister Of Education And Children On Medical Leave
On December 9, Minister of Education and Children and People’s Party MP Guðmundur Ingi Kristinsson went away on medical leave, RÚV reported. The minister has recently undergone medical tests at the National Hospital and needs heart surgery, slated for early 2026, the…
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Government Introduces National Transportation Plan
On December 3, the Icelandic government introduced the revised national transportation plan at a press conference. The plan presents the current government’s emphases in national transportation infrastructure. According to Minister of Infrastructure and People’s Party MP Eyjóllfur Ármannsson, the agenda aims to…
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Government Earmarks 25 Million ISK For EU Membership Debate
A new draft of the supplementary budget proposes allocating 25 million ISK to promote discussion around potential EU accession negotiations, reports RÚV. According to the government coalition agreement, a national referendum on whether to begin talks with the European Union is planned…
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Government Announces Changes To Fishing Fees
On March 25, Minister of Industries and Liberal MP Hanna Katrín Friðriksson and Finance Minister Daði Már Kristófersson announced changes to the current fishing fees, RÚV reports. In a press meeting, the ministers claimed that last year’s fishing fees accrued ten billion…
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Guðmundur Ingi Kristinsson New Minister For Children
During a cabinet meeting between the Icelandic government and President Halla Tómasdóttir on Sunday, March 23, former minister for children and education Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir formally resigned. On March 20, news broke that Ásthildur had pursued a romantic relationship with a minor…
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Government Pledges Increased Financial Support To Ukraine
The Icelandic government has agreed to increase support to Ukraine by 2.1 billion ISK (14.4 million EUR) to aid in its war effort against Russia, Vísir reports. Prime Minister of Iceland and Social Democratic Alliance MP Kristrún Frostadóttir announced the additional spending…
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New Government Approval Ratings Almost 70%
The results of a recent Gallup survey show that the new government’s approval rating measures at 69%. However, the total support of each government party amounts to 48%, reports RÚV. The rating is on par with previous incumbent governments, with the former…
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Foreign Minister Claims Government Willing To Increase Relations With Greenland
Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir said there is consensus within the government to increase relations with Greenland, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments hinting at annexing the country. Issues relating to Greenland were among the topics discussed at a government meeting on…
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Iceland’s New Government Formed, Priorities Unveiled
On December 21, the leaders of the Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylking), Liberal Reform Party (Viðreisn) and the People’s Party (Flokkur Fólksins) presented the makeup of their coalition government and its agenda during a press conference at Hafnarborg in Hafnarfjörður, reports RÚV. The…
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Coalition Government Agreement To Be Presented Next Weekend
Leaders of the presumed coalition parties are set to announce their agreement for a coalition government on the weekend before Christmas. The party heads, Inga Sæland, Kristrún Frostadóttir, and Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir (People’s Party; Social Democratic Alliance; Liberal Reform Party, respectively) have…
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Government Formation Likely To Happen Before New Year
On December 11, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, leader of Viðreisn (the Liberal Reform Party), said in conversation with RÚV that a new government is likely to be formed by the end of 2024. Since the election on November 30, Samfylkingin (the Social Democratic…
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Kristrún Frostadóttir Begins Formal Government Formation
Since receiving the presidential mandate, Samfylkingin (Social Democratic Alliance) Leader Kristrún Frostadóttir has formally commenced forming a government in conjunction with Viðreisn (Liberal Reform) and Flokkur fólksins (People’s Party). On December 3, Kristrún called Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir and Inga Sæland, leaders of…
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Government Prepares Increased Customs Monitoring
Legislation is underway that grants the Icelandic Customs Authority increased authority to examine travellers’ luggage without prior consent, mbl.is reports. However, selected individuals will be notified retroactively. The bill is currently under preparation by the Ministry of Finance and published in the…
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Decision Day For President Halla Following Government Collapse
President of Iceland Halla Tómasdóttir met with all party leaders represented in Parliament yesterday. She is still weighing her decision of how to proceed following the ruling coalition’s collapse on Sunday, October 13, reports RÚV. If Halla intends to approve Prime Minister…
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Support For Coalition Parties Decreases, Social Democratic Alliance Looms Large
A new survey conducted by Maskína for news outlet Vísir suggests paints an interesting picture of Iceland’s political landscape, with the Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) currently polling highest at 25% — a decrease from their massive 30.9% approval rate in April 2024.…
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Too Little, Too Late: Iceland’s Shambolic Housing Market
In the afternoon of June 25, 2020, a house on Bræðraborgarstígur in Reykjavík’s Miðbær neighbourhood was set ablaze. Smoke engulfed the western part of town and a majority of the downtown area, pooling over the city pond where warm air met cool…
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Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir Seriously Considering Presidential Bid (For Real)
Though the Grapevine crafted a side-slappingly good April Fool’s article on the topic, Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir said in a recent interview with RÚV that she actually is seriously considering running for president. She will announce her decision in the coming days.…
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Former Ice Cream Company CEO New Minister Of Justice
Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir has been named the new Minister of Justice following the resignation of Jón Gunnarsson. Guðrún is an MP for the Independence Party, one of the three parties comprising the ruling coalition government, alongside the Left-Green Movement and the Progressive Party. Guðrún…
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Toddlers Protest Pre-School Shortage at City Council Meeting
There is a severe shortage of pre-school spaces for young children in Reykjavík, prompting parents to take their toddlers to a city council meeting Tuesday to highlight the issue, mbl.is reports. Among the toddlers present was 20-month-old Soffía Lára Stefánsdóttir, who made…
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Icelandic Developed As A Language Model Within ChatGPT
The Icelandic language was chosen as the next language to be developed within the revamped language model GPT-4, produced by the artificial intelligence company OpenAI. An Icelandic presidential delegation and Minister of Culture and Business Lilja Alfreðsdóttir met with OpenAI’s founder Sam…
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Organisations Demand Icelandic Government To Implement Women’s Charter
Several organisations are calling on the Icelandic government to incorporate the Women’s Charter into Icelandic law, reports RÚV. The demand comes after the government has failed to address gender equality due to funding shortfalls and concerns have been raised about the Icelandic…
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Research Finds Online Harassment Deters Women From Running for Reelection
Research suggests that online harassment is a large reason women are less likely to run for election or reelection, reports Frettablaðið. [su_pullquote]If you are coming to Iceland check out our goodie bags that you can order direct to your hotel. Also check…
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New Poll: Government Fallen, Large Swings In Party Support
A new poll conducted by Prósent for Fréttablaðið shows that if elections were held today, the current ruling coalition–led by the Left-Greens with the Independence Party and the Progressive Party–would not win enough seats to hold a majority. Some opposition parties have…