Parliamentary elections in Iceland in 2009 were held on April 25 [1] as a result of strong public pressure due to the financial crisis in Iceland . [2] The Social Democratic Alliance and the Left Green movement formed a coalition government with Prime Minister Yohanna Sigurdardottir at the head. Both parties scored a large number of votes and now have an absolute majority of seats in the Althing . The Progressive Party and the new, formed after the protests in January 2009 , the party " Civil Movement ", received 4 seats. The Independence Party , which had been ruling for 18 years, suffered a defeat by losing a third of the votes and nine seats in the Althing. [1] [3]
Background
After the collapse of the three largest banks in Iceland in October 2008, weekly protests began in the country. These protests intensified after the return of the Althing from the Christmas break on January 20, 2009. [4] Three days later, Prime Minister Geir Horde , chairman of the Independence Party , announced that he could no longer hold office due to the fact that he had cancer of the esophagus . He also promised early elections on May 9, 2009. However, the Independence Party intended to retain the post of Prime Minister, which seemed unacceptable to their allies - the Social Democratic Alliance . The government was dissolved on January 26, 2009 [5] .
After negotiations with all political parties represented in the Althing , the President asked the Social Democratic Alliance to form a new government. This turned out to be a minority coalition with the Left-Green movement with the support of the Progressive Party and the Liberal Party of Iceland [6] [7] . Johanna Sigurdadottir became the new Prime Minister.
The election date was one of the agreements reached as a result of the negotiations of the coalition members. The Social Democrats insisted on May 9, while the Greens wanted elections in early April. However, the compromise proposal of the Independence Party was approved - April 25 [8] . Three parties also agreed to convene a constitutional assembly to discuss possible changes to the Constitution [9] . No agreement was reached on the possible holding of a referendum on joining the European Union ; this became a problem that divided the coalition [10] .
Parties
The Progressive Party was the first to change the leader after the 2008 crisis: Gutni Auguejtsson resigned as head of the party and as a member of the Althing on November 17, 2008. Sigmundur Davit Gunlaugsson was elected head of the party on January 18, 2009, although he did not meet in Alting at that time [11] . One of his first actions as a party leader was to demand early elections and support 7 members of his party in Parliament to join the coalition of the Social Democrats and the Left Greens [12] .
In the Progressive Party, Bjarni Benedictsson Jr. was elected head on March 29, 2009 [13] [14] . He proposed holding two EU accession referendums: the first to start accession negotiations (which could be delayed until the summer of 2010), and the second by EU membership after the negotiations were completed [15] .
The Social Democratic leader, Ingibyor Sourlun Gisladottir , was also unhealthy since September 2008 due to a brain tumor. Although she initially planned to remain the head of the party, when Johanna Sigurdadottir became Prime Minister [16] , on March 8, 2009, she stated that she could not be sure of her health. Johanna had previously stated that she would not want to become the main party, but in the middle of March she changed her point of view and announced that she would be one of the candidates at the request of the majority of party members [17] . She was chosen with a 97% advantage as a leader during the party congress on March 27-29.
After the January protests, two new parties were formed: the Civil Movement and the Democratic Movement [18] . Both fought in all 6 constituencies. L-List of Sovereign Candidates withdrew their candidate on April 3, 2009.
Campaign
A week before the elections, the Independence Party announced that the party committee on relations with Europe had decided to go towards adopting the Euro as currency with the help of the International Monetary Fund [19] . Shortly before the elections, Johanna Sigurdottir stated that her main goal would be to join the European Union (she stressed that she was confident of agreement with the Left-Green on this issue) and predicted that within 4 years Iceland would enter the Euro zone [20] .
Results
| Parties | Leader | Vote | % | + / -% | Places | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Democratic Alliance ( Samfylkingin ) | Johanna Sigurdardottir | 55.758 | 29.8 | +3.0 | 20 | +2 | |
| Independence Party ( Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn ) | Bjarni Benedictsson | 44.369 | 23.7 | −12.9 | sixteen | −9 | |
| Left-green movement ( Vinstrihreyfingin - grænt framboð ) | Jonann sigfusson | 40.580 | 21.7 | +7.4 | 14 | +5 | |
| Progressive Party ( Framsóknarflokkurinn ) | Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson | 27.699 | 14.8 | +3.1 | 9 | +2 | |
| Civil Movement ( Borgarahreyfingin ) | no elected leader | 13.519 | 7.2 | +7.2 | four | +4 | |
| Liberal Party ( Frjálslyndi flokkurinn ) | Gudjon Arnar Kristjánsson | 4.148 | 2.2 | −5,1 | 0 | −4 | |
| Democratic Movement ( Lýðræðishreyfingin ) | Astror Magnusson | 1.107 | 0.6 | +0.6 | 0 | - | |
| Total | 187.180 | 100.0 | 63 | - | |||
| Empty forms: 6.226 (3.2%); Corrupted forms: 528 (0.3%); Turnout: 85.1%. Source: Morgunblaðið [21] | |||||||
Public Opinion Poll
| The consignment | Result of 2007 | February 2009 [22] | March 11-17, 2009 [23] | at the end of March 2009 [24] | April 3, 2009 [25] | April 9, 2009 [26] | April 16, 2009 [26] | April 21, 2009 [27] | April 21-23, 2009 [28] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence party | 36.6% | 25.8% | 26.5% | 29.1% | 25.4% | 25.7% | 23.3% | 27.3% | 23.2% |
| Left-Green Movement | 14.3% | 24.1% | 24.6% | 25.8% | 27.2% | 26% | 28.2% | 25.7% | 26.3% |
| Social Democratic Alliance | 26.8% | 27.7% | 31.2% | 31.7% | 29.4% | 32.6% | 30.7% | 32.2% | 29.8% |
| Progressive Party | 11.7% | 15 % | 11.3% | 7.5% | 10.7% | 9.8% | 11.1% | 6.8% | 12.0% |
| Liberal Party | 7.3% | 2.5% | 1.3% | 1.8% | - | 1.1% | 2% | 0.7% | 1.5% |
| Civil movement | - | 2.5% | - | 3.6% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 6.8% | ||
| L-List of Sovereignty Supporters | - | 1.9% | - | ||||||
| Democratic movement | - | 2.0% | 0.5% | ||||||
See also
- Parliamentary elections in Iceland (2013)
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Kosningar 9. maí og Geir hættir , RÚV , January 23, 2009 , < http://ruv.is/heim/frettir/frett/store64/item247505/ > .
- ↑ Iceland announces early election , BBC News, January 23, 2009 , < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7847317.stm > .
- ↑ Iceland unconventionally pulled to the left , Kommersant (April 27, 2009).
- ↑ International Herald-Tribune , < http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2009/01/24/europe/OUKWD-UK-ICELAND.php > .
- ↑ Iceland's Ruling Coalition Splits Following Protests , Bloomberg, January 26, 2009 , < https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=avntV39aM_7I&refer=europe > .
- ↑ New Iceland government under negotiation , IceNews, January 27, 2009 , < http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/01/27/new-icelandic-government-being-negotiated/ > .
- ↑ No new Icelandic government this weekend , IceNews, January 31, 2009 , < http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/01/31/no-new-icelandic-government-this-weekend/ > .
- ↑ Framsókn ver nýja stjórn , mbl.is, January 31, 2009 , < http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/01/31/framsokn_satt_vid_nyja_stjorn/ > (Iceland.)
- " Iceland to Convene Constitutional Parliament ", Iceland Review , January 30, 2009 , < http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16539&ew_0_a_id=319192 > .
- " Iceland's Social Policy in May ", Iceland Review , January 27, 2009 , < http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16567&ew_0_a_id=319006 > .
- " Sigmundur kjörinn formaður ", Morgunblaðið , January 18, 2009 , < http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/01/18/sigmundur_kjorinn_formadur/ > . (Iceland.)
- ↑ Opposition attempts to call Iceland elections, bypassing PM , IceNews, January 22, 2009 , < http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/01/22/opposition-attempt-to-call-iceland-elections- bypassing-pm / > .
- New " New Chairman Elected for Iceland's Independents ", Iceland Review , March 30, 2009 , < http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16567&ew_0_a_id=322100 > . Retrieved April 26, 2009. .
- ↑ New leader of the Independence Party in Iceland selected , IceNews, March 29, 2009 , < http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/03/29/new-party-leader-of-the-independence- party-in-iceland / > .
- " Iceland's biggest party wants two EU referendums ", EU Business , March 28, 2009 , < http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1238178722.13 > .
- ↑ Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir to run for re-election , IceNews, 1 March 2009 , < http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/03/01/ingibjorg-solrun-gisladottir-to-run-for- re-election / > .
- ↑ Johanna Sigurdardottir changes mind, becomes likely party leader , IceNews, March 20, 2009 , < http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/03/20/johanna-sigurdardottir-changes-mind-becomes-likely- party leader / >
- ↑ Elections in Iceland this weekend , IceNews, April 22, 2009 , < http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/04/22/elections-in-iceland-next-weekend/ > .
- ↑ Independence Party wants the euro , IceNews, April 19, 2009 , < http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/04/19/independence-party-wants-the-euro/ > .
- ↑ Barclays To Lend More GBP11bn To UK Households, Businesses , EasyBourse, April 23, 2009 , < http://www.easybourse.com/bourse-actualite/marches/iceland-pm-predicts-euro-adoption-within-four-years -report-654012 > (inaccessible link) .
- ↑ Kosningar , mbl.is , < http://mbl.is/mm/frettir/kosningar/ > . Retrieved April 26, 2009. . (Iceland.)
- ↑ Iceland's Government Wins 60 Percent Approval Rating , Iceland Review Online, February 17, 2009
- ↑ Left coalition still widely liked , IceNews, March 21, 2009
- ↑ Iceland Places Social Alliance in First Place (inaccessible link) , Angus Reid Global Monitor, March 30, 2009
- Ice Latest Iceland opinion poll results , IceNews, April 3, 2009
- ↑ 1 2 Samfylkingin mælist áfram stærst Archived April 10, 2009. , Ruv, April 9, 2009
- ↑ Ruling Social Alliance Leads in Iceland Archived April 22, 2009. , Angus Reid Global Monitor, April 21, 2009
- ↑ Síðasta könnun fyrir kosningar Archived April 26, 2009. , Ruv, April 24, 2009
Links
- Guide to Iceland's Parliamentary Elections 2009 : responses from the Reykjavík Grapevine