View source for Politics of Iceland

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{{Infobox political system
| name                          = Political system of Iceland
| native_name                   = {{Lang|is|Íslensk stjórnmál}} ([[Icelandic language|Icelandic]])
| image                         = Coat of arms of Iceland.svg
| image_size                    = 150
| caption                       = [[Coat of arms of Iceland]]
| type                          = [[Parliamentary republic]]
| constitution                  = [[Constitution of Iceland]]
| legislature                   = [[Althing]]
| legislature_type              = [[Unicameral]]
| legislature_place             = [[Alþingishúsið]], [[Reykjavík]]
| legislature_speaker           = 
| legislature_speaker_title     = 
| upper house                    =
| upperhouse_speaker            =
| upperhouse_speaker_title      =
| upperhouse_appointer          =
| lower house                    = 
| lowerhouse_speaker            = [[Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir]]
| lowerhouse_speaker_title      = [[List of Speakers of the Parliament of Iceland|Speaker of the Althing]]
| lowerhouse_appointer          = Direct election
| title_hos                     = [[President of Iceland]]
| current_hos                   = [[Halla Tómasdóttir]]
| appointer_hos                 = Direct election
| title_hog                     = [[Prime Minister of Iceland]]
| current_hog                   = [[Kristrún Frostadóttir]]
| appointer_hog                 =
| cabinet                       = [[Cabinet of Iceland]]
| current_cabinet               = [[Cabinet of Kristrún Frostadóttir]]
| cabinet_leader                = Prime Minister
| cabinet_deputyleader          =
| cabinet_appointer             =
| cabinet_hq                    = Reykjavík
| cabinet_ministries            = [[List of Icelandic ministries|12 Ministries]]
| judiciary                     = Judiciary of Iceland
| judiciary_head                =
| courts                        = 
| court                         = [[Supreme Court of Iceland]]
| chief_judge                   = Benedikt Bogason
| court_seat                    = Supreme Court Building
| court1                        =
| chief_judge1                  =
| court_seat1                   =
}}
{{Politics of Iceland}}

The '''politics of Iceland''' take place in the framework of a [[parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[representative democracy|representative democratic]] [[republic]], whereby the [[President of Iceland|president]] is the [[head of state]], while the [[prime minister of Iceland]] serves as the [[head of government]] in a [[multi-party system]]. [[Executive (government)|Executive power]] is exercised by the government. [[Legislative power]] is vested in both the [[government]] and the parliament, the [[Althing]]. The [[judiciary]] is independent of the executive and the legislature.

[[Iceland]] is arguably the world's oldest [[assembly democracy]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/03/iceland/del-giudice-text|title=Power Struggle|first=Marguerite|last=Del Giudice|publisher=[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]|page=85|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107025544/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/03/iceland/del-giudice-text|date=March 2008|access-date=2019-07-21|archive-date=2017-11-07|url-status=dead|website=Iceland's Heated Debate - National Geographic Magazine}}
</ref> and has been rated as a "full democracy" in 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/02/02/global-democracy-has-a-very-bad-year|title=Global democracy has a very bad year|date=February 2, 2021|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=September 28, 2021|archive-date=February 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202220733/https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/02/02/global-democracy-has-a-very-bad-year|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Executive branch==
[[File:Iceland-Reykjavik-Stjornarrad-1.jpg|thumb|[[Cabinet of Iceland]], seat of executive branch]]

{{office-table}}
|[[President of Iceland|President]]
|[[Halla Tómasdóttir]]
|[[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|1 August 2024
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Iceland|Prime Minister]]
|[[Kristrún Frostadóttir]]
|[[Social Democratic Alliance]]
|21 December 2024
|}

Elected to a four-year term, the [[President of Iceland|President]] has limited powers and is poised in a largely ceremonial office that serves as a diplomat and figurehead.
On 1 August 2024, [[Halla Tómasdóttir]] was elected as the current President.

The prime minister and cabinet exercise most executive functions. The [[head of government]] is the [[prime minister]], who, together with the cabinet, takes care of the [[executive (government)|executive]] part of [[government]]. The cabinet is appointed by the president after general elections to [[Althing]]; however, this process is usually conducted by the leaders of the political parties, who decide among themselves after discussions which parties can form the cabinet and how its seats are to be distributed (under the condition that it has majority support in Althing). Only when the party leaders are unable to reach a conclusion by themselves in reasonable time does the president exercise this power and appoint the cabinet themselves. This has never happened since the republic was founded in 1944, but in 1942 the regent of the country ([[Sveinn Björnsson]], who had been installed in that position by the Althing in 1941) appointed a non-parliamentary government. The regent had, for all practical purposes, the position of a president, and Sveinn in fact became the country's first president in 1944. The governments of Iceland have almost always been coalitions with two or more parties involved because no single political party has received a majority of seats in the Althing during Iceland's republican period. The extent of the political powers possessed by the office of the president is disputed by legal scholars in Iceland; several provisions of the constitution appear to give the president some important powers but other provisions and traditions suggest differently.

The president is elected every four years (last 2024), the cabinet is elected every four years (last 2021) and town council elections are held every four years (last 2022).

==Legislative branch==

[[Image:Alþingi 2012-07.JPG|thumb|[[Althing|Parliament of Iceland]], seat of legislative branch.]]
The modern parliament, called the "[[Althing]]" or "{{Lang|is|Alþingi}}", was founded in 1845 as an advisory body to the [[Denmark|Danish]] [[Danish monarchy|king]]. It was widely seen as a re-establishment of the assembly founded in 930 in the [[Icelandic Commonwealth|Commonwealth]] period and suspended in 1799. The Althing is composed of 63 members, elected every 4 years unless it is dissolved sooner. [[Suffrage]] for presidential and parliamentary elections is 18 years of age and is universal. Members of the Althing are elected on the basis of proportional representation from six constituencies. Until 1991, membership of the Althing was divided between a lower and upper house but this was changed to a fully [[unicameral]] system.

==Political parties and the elections==
{{elect|List of political parties in Iceland|Elections in Iceland}}
After four four-year terms as the world's first elected woman president, the widely popular [[Vigdís Finnbogadóttir]] chose not to run for re-election in 1996.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kristinsson|first=Gunnar Helgi|date=1996-11-01|title=The presidential election in Iceland 1996|journal=Electoral Studies|volume=15|issue=4|pages=533–537|doi=10.1016/s0261-3794(96)80470-7}}</ref> More than 86% of voters turned out in the 29 June 1996 presidential elections to give former leftist party chairman [[Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson]] a 41% plurality and relatively comfortable 12% victory margin over the closest of three other candidates. Traditionally limited to 6–12 weeks, Iceland's campaign season was marked by several intensely personal attacks on Ólafur Ragnar, a former finance minister who tried to erase memories of his controversial support of inflationary policies and opposition to the [[United States|U.S.]] military presence at the [[NATO]] base in [[Keflavík]]. Ólafur Ragnar successfully used his largely ceremonial office to promote Icelandic trade abroad and family values at home. The [[2020 Icelandic presidential election|most recent presidential elections]] took place on 27 June 2020.

The [[2021 Icelandic parliamentary election|most recent parliamentary elections]] took place on 25 September 2021. A three-party coalition was formed following the [[2017 Icelandic parliamentary election|2017 parliamentary elections]] by the [[Independence Party (Iceland)|Independence Party]] (''Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn''), the [[Progressive Party (Iceland)|Progressive Party]] (''Framsóknarflokkurinn'') and the [[Left-Green Movement]] (''Vinstrihreyfingin – grænt framboð''). These political parties were again the three largest in Iceland after the latest elections and subsequently continued the coalition for another term.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-28 |title=From Iceland — Iceland's New Government Announced |url=https://grapevine.is/news/2021/11/28/icelands-new-government-announced/ |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=The Reykjavik Grapevine}}</ref> This was the first time since 2009 in which existing coalition is renewed in Iceland.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fernando Casal Bertoa |title=Government coalition survives in Iceland – for the first time since the bank crash of 2008 |url=https://whogoverns.eu/government-coalition-survives-in-iceland-for-the-first-time-since-the-bank-crash-of-2008/ |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=Who Governs Europe}}</ref> A total of 203,898 votes were cast consulting 80.1% of the 254,681 electorates.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Úrslit Alþingiskosninga 2021 |url=https://www.mbl.is/frettir/kosningar/results/ |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=mbl.is |language=is}}</ref>

==Political history==

===1990s===
In losing four seats in April [[1995 Icelandic parliamentary election|1995 parliamentary elections]], the [[Independence Party (Iceland)|IP]] and [[Social Democratic Party (Iceland)|SDP]] (so-called ''[[Viðey]] government'') mustered a simple majority in the 63-seat Althing. However, Prime Minister and IP leader [[Davíð Oddsson]] chose the resurgent [[Progressive Party (Iceland)|Progressive Party]] (PP) as a more conservative partner to form a stronger and more stable majority with 40 seats. Splintered by factionalism over the economy and Iceland's role in the [[European Union]] (EU), the SDP also suffered from being the only party to support Iceland's EU membership application.

===2000s–2010s===
The beginning of the millennium saw a merger of all the [[Left-wing politics|left parties]] to form the [[Social Democratic Alliance]]. Some members chose to join another new left party instead, the [[Left-Green Movement]]. After the PP's loss in the [[2007 Icelandic parliamentary election|2007 elections]] its longstanding alliance with the IP ended despite still being able to form a majority. Instead, the IP's leader [[Geir Haarde]] chose a stronger but somewhat unstable coalition with the Social Democrats (the [[Þingvellir]] government).

Geir's administration fell apart in January 2009 and he called for an early election before standing down as party leader. The Social Democrats subsequently formed an interim government with the LGM.  In the [[2009 Icelandic parliamentary election|resulting election]], [[Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir]]'s administration prevailed, the first time Icelanders voted for a majority left-wing government.

After the 2008 financial crisis, there has been an increasing fractionalization of the Icelandic party system. The increase in the number of parties has made it harder for coalition governments to form.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hardarson|first1=Ólafur Th|last2=Kristinsson|first2=Gunnar Helgi|date=2018-12-01|title=Iceland: Political development and data for 2017|journal=European Journal of Political Research Political Data Yearbook|volume=57|issue=1|pages=135–141|doi=10.1111/2047-8852.12222|s2cid=158256950 |issn=2047-8852}}</ref> What's more, since the initial resignation of the government in January 2009 after the banking collapse, revelations of subsequent political scandals have resulted in the government collapsing in 2016, following the [[Panama Papers]], and again in 2017, following revelations of impropriety within the ranks of the political class; both instances culminated in anti-government protests being staged.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Heffernan|first=Timothy|date=2020-01-01|title=Crisis and Belonging: Protest Voices and Empathic Solidarity in Post-Economic Collapse Iceland|journal=Religions|volume=11|issue=1|pages=22|doi=10.3390/rel11010022|doi-access=free|hdl=1959.4/unsworks_65038|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Organized protests held to highlight and challenge political corruption since 2008 have therefore come to stress the necessity for the new [[Icelandic constitution]] that was co-drafted by the 2009 leftist government and select members of the public to be enshrined into law.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Heffernan|first=Timothy|date=2020-06-01|title="Where Is the New Constitution?" Public Protest and Community-Building in Post–Economic Collapse Iceland|journal=Conflict and Society|volume=6|issue=1|pages=236–254|doi=10.3167/arcs.2020.060114|doi-access=free|hdl=1959.4/unsworks_73167|hdl-access=free}}</ref>
[[File:Politics Of Iceland.svg|thumb|300px|Political system of Iceland]]

=== 2020s ===
After the 2021 parliamentary [[2021 Icelandic parliamentary election|election]], the new government was, just like the previous government, a tri-party coalition of the [[Independence Party (Iceland)|Independence Party]], the [[Progressive Party (Iceland)|Progressive Party]] and the [[Left-Green Movement]], headed by Prime Minister [[Katrín Jakobsdóttir]].<ref>{{cite news |title=New Government of Iceland Takes Office |url=https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/politics_and_society/2021/11/29/new_government_of_iceland_takes_office/ |work=Iceland Monitor |date=29 November 2021}}</ref>  In April 2024, Bjarni Benediktsson of the Independence party succeeded Katrín Jakobsdóttir as prime minister.<ref>{{cite news |title=Iceland appoints Bjarni Benediktsson to replace Katrín Jakobsdóttir as PM |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/10/iceland-conservative-foreign-minister-replaces-jakobsdottir-as-pm |access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref> In November 2024, centre-left [[Social Democratic Alliance]] became the biggest party in a [[2024 Icelandic parliamentary election|snap election]], meaning Social Democratic [[Kristrún Frostadóttir|Kristrun Frostadottir]] became the next Prime Minister of Iceland.<ref>{{cite news |title=Iceland gets new government under Social Democrat Frostadottir |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/iceland-presents-new-government-with-social-democratic-leader-frostadottir-pm-2024-12-21/ |access-date=21 December 2024}}</ref>

==Judicial branch==
The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court ([[Supreme Court of Iceland|Hæstiréttur]]) and district courts. Justices are appointed for life by the minister of justice. The Constitution protects the judiciary from infringement by the other two branches.

==Administrative divisions==
Iceland is divided into [[Regions of Iceland|8 regions]], which are further subdivided into [[Municipalities of Iceland|77 municipalities]].

Until 1988, Iceland was divided in 23 counties (''sýslur'', singular ''sýsla'') and 14 independent towns* (''kaupstaðir'', singular ''kaupstaður''); [[Akranes]]*, [[Akureyri]]*, [[Árnessýsla]], [[Austur-Barðastrandarsýsla]], [[Austur-Húnavatnssýsla]], [[Austur-Skaftafellssýsla]], [[Borgarfjarðarsýsla]], [[Dalasýsla]], [[Eyjafjarðarsýsla]], [[Gullbringusýsla]], [[Hafnarfjörður]]*, [[Húsavík]]*, [[Ísafjörður]]*, [[Keflavík]]*, [[Kjósarsýsla]], [[Kópavogur]]*, [[Mýrasýsla]], [[Neskaupstaður]]*, [[Norður-Ísafjarðarsýsla]], [[Norður-Múlasýsla]], [[Norður-Þingeyjarsýsla]], [[Ólafsfjörður]]*, [[Rangárvallasýsla]], [[Reykjavík]]*, [[Sauðárkrókur]]*, [[Seyðisfjörður]]*, [[Siglufjörður]]*, [[Skagafjarðarsýsla]], [[Snæfellsnes- og Hnappadalssýsla]], [[Strandasýsla]], [[Suður-Múlasýsla]], [[Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla]], [[Vestmannaeyjar]]*, [[Vestur-Barðastrandarsýsla]], [[Vestur-Húnavatnssýsla]], [[Vestur-Ísafjarðarsýsla]], [[Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla]]

==International organization participation==
{{Context|section|date=February 2019}}
[[Arctic Council]], [[Australia Group]], [[Bank for International Settlements|BIS]], [[Council of the Baltic Sea States|CBSS]], [[Council of Europe|CE]], [[Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council|EAPC]], [[European Bank for Reconstruction and Development|EBRD]], [[United Nations Economic Commission for Europe|ECE]], [[European Free Trade Association|EFTA]], [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]], [[International Atomic Energy Agency|IAEA]], [[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development|IBRD]], [[International Civil Aviation Organization|ICAO]], [[International Criminal Court|ICCt]], [[International Chamber of Commerce|ICC]], [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|ICRM]], [[International Development Association|IDA]], [[International Energy Agency|IEA]] (observer), [[International Finance Corporation|IFC]], [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|IFRCS]], [[International Hydrographic Organization|IHO]], [[International Labour Organization|ILO]], [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]], [[International Maritime Organization|IMO]], [[International Mobile Satellite Organization|Inmarsat]], [[Intelsat]], [[Interpol (organization)|Interpol]], [[IOC]], [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]], [[International Telecommunication Union|ITU]], [[International Trade Union Confederation|ITUC]], [[NATO]], [[Nordic Council|NC]], [[Nuclear Energy Agency|NEA]], [[Nordic Investment Bank|NIB]], [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]], [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons|OPCW]], [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|OSCE]], [[Permanent Court of Arbitration|PCA]], [[United Nations|UN]], [[United Nations Conference on Trade and Development|UNCTAD]], [[UNESCO]], [[United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo|UNMIK]], [[United Nations University|UNU]], [[Universal Postal Union|UPU]], [[World Customs Organization|WCO]], [[Western European Union|WEU]] (associate), [[World Health Organization|WHO]], [[World Intellectual Property Organization|WIPO]], [[World Meteorological Organization|WMO]], [[World Trade Organization|WTrO]]

== See also ==

* [[List of Icelandic ministries]]
* [https://kosningasaga.wordpress.com/ election history]
* [[Icelandic constitutional reform, 2010–13]]

==Further reading==

* Baldur Thorhallsson (ed.). 2018. ''Small States and Shelter Theory: Iceland's External Affairs''. Routledge.
* Baldur Thorhallsson (ed.). 2021. ''Iceland's Shelter-Seeking Behavior: From Settlement to Republic''. Cornell University Library
* Gunnar Helgi Kristinsson. 2007. ''Íslenska stjórnkerfið''. Háskólaútgáfan.
* Gunnar Helgi Kristinsson. 2021. ''Elítur og valdakerfi á Íslandi.'' Háskólaútgáfan.
* Hulda Thórisdóttir, Ólafur Th. Harðarson, Eva H. Önnudóttir, and Agnar Freyr Helgason. 2021. ''Electoral Politics in Crisis After the Great Recession: Change, Fluctuations and Stability in Iceland''. Routledge.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.government.is/ Government Offices of Iceland]
{{Icelandic elections}}
{{Iceland topics|state=collapsed}}
{{Politics of Europe}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Politics Of Iceland}}
[[Category:Politics of Iceland| ]]