Halla Tómasdóttir Wins Icelandic Presidential Election
In Reykjavik, Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir emerged as the victor in the presidential election after a long night of vote counting. Tómasdóttir held a significant lead over her competitors, including former Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir. Despite initial expectations of a close race, Tómasdóttir ultimately secured the win, with Jakobsdóttir conceding defeat and congratulating her on the victory. Voter turnout reached nearly 79 percent, a notable increase from the previous election. With Tómasdóttir becoming the seventh president and the second woman to hold the office, she is set to begin her term on August 1st. The 55-year-old entrepreneur succeeds Gudni Jóhannesson, who served as president since 2016 and announced his decision not to seek a third term in office. Tómasdóttir's previous attempt at the presidency was in 2016, where she lost to Jóhannesson. The presidential role in Iceland is primarily ceremonial, and the country, although not part of the EU, is a member of the European Economic Area. With around 380,000 inhabitants, Iceland conducts presidential elections every four years, with this recent election featuring a record twelve candidates.
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