Iceland May Establish Separation Of Church and State In 15 Years

A parliamentary proposal with multipartisan support is calling for a bill that would completely separate church and state to be submitted no later than 2021, with complete separation of church and state slated for no later than 2034, Vísir reports.

Jón Steindór Valdimarsson, an MP for the Reform Party, is the first speaker for the proposal. Apart from all MPs from the Reform Party, the proposal also has the support of two MPs each from the Left-Greens, who lead Iceland’s ruling coalition, the Pirate Party and the Social Democrats.

“I think the time has come to being work on complete separation of church and state,” Jón told reporters. “It is clear that the church enjoys a very privileged position in its relationship to the state, and receives support that goes far beyond other religions in this country.”

As reported, most Icelanders polled on the subject support separation of church and state—even from some state church ministers.

The proposal is expected to be submitted to the floor of Parliament shortly to be put to a discussion and vote.