Iceland’s President Will Run For Re-Election

Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, Iceland’s sixth president, will run for re-election this June, RÚV reports, announcing his intentions during the traditional New Year’s address to the nation.

“We are now reaching the end of my term as President of Iceland,” the President said in part. “More than three years have passed, eventful and memorable. What comes next? Only time will tell, but it can be said that it is both timely and appropriate that I declare that I intend to give myself the chance to remain at [the presidential residence of] Bessastaðir.”

Guðni was elected with widespread support in June 2016. Since then, he has proved to be a very popular president with high approval ratings throughout the course of his term—at 77% to 85% at any given time over the past three years and change.

The next presidential elections will be held this coming June 27th. It is entirely possible that no one runs against him, as this is not unheard of in Icelandic politics. It happened most recently in 2008, when then-President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, who was first elected in 1996, ran unopposed and was automatically re-elected.

Whether a challenger to the presidential title steps forward between now and the deadline to file for candidacy, which is usually in May, remains to be seen.