Social Democrats Triumph in Iceland's Parliamentary Elections: A Shift in Governance
Iceland's political landscape has witnessed a significant shift with the Social Democrats securing victory in the recent parliamentary elections held on Saturday. The centrist Reformists also performed commendably in this election, further reshaping the opposition landscape. In stark contrast, the governing parties faced disappointing results, with the Independence Party—the center-right faction—regaining support and emerging in the second position.
With 63 seats in the Althing, the Icelandic parliament, a majority requires 32 seats, making coalition formations a common occurrence. The Social Democrats garnered 20.8 percent of the votes, translating to 15 seats in parliament. The Independence Party, led by outgoing Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, received 19.4 percent and secured 14 seats. The Reformists, with 15.8 percent of the votes, earned 11 seats.
Benediktsson, who assumed office in April, had previously requested the dissolution of the parliament from President Halla Tómasdóttir last October due to mounting internal disagreements within his coalition, which was composed of his party, the Green Left, and the Progressive Party that had formed in 2017.
Outgoing Prime Minister Benediktsson was seen voting in Reykjavik on November 30. The Green Left, which has been led by Katrín Jakobsdóttir for two terms since 2017, failed to surpass the 5 percent electoral threshold this time, garnering only 2.3 percent of the votes. Following Jakobsdóttir's resignation to run for the presidency in June, she was succeeded by Benediktsson, who now faces a politically transformed landscape.
The Progressive Party faced a significant setback, losing 8 seats and now holding only 5. In a notable contrast, two parties that employed nationalist and anti-immigration rhetoric—the Centre Party led by former Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson and the People's Party—recorded gains on the right, with 8 and 10 seats respectively. This electoral outcome came amid a notable rise in asylum applications to Iceland, which surpassed 4,000 annually in recent years, compared to the historical average of approximately 1,000.
As the leader of the party that received the most votes, Kristrún Mjöll Frostadóttir of the Social Democrats is poised to take the helm in forming the new government. Having led the Social Democrats for two years, her campaign focused on social welfare initiatives and measures aimed at addressing the escalating cost of living, marking a return for the party that had not secured victory since 2009. Frostadóttir is likely to seek an alliance with the Reformists to strengthen the new coalition.
The Reformists have proposed holding a referendum to revisit Iceland's application to join the European Union, a move that was initially initiated during the economic crisis in 2009 but was later withdrawn. While support for EU membership in recent polls surged to 45 percent, reflecting a significant political topic, Frostadóttir approaches this matter with caution, recognizing it as potentially divisive, which may complicate coalition negotiations moving forward.
As Icelanders digest the ramifications of this election, the results indicate a broader shift in public sentiment, particularly regarding the governance and political discourse surrounding welfare, immigration, and international alliances.
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