This is an article about a former prime minister of Iceland. For the current leader of the Icelandic Independence Party, see Bjarni Benediktsson, Jr.

Bjarni Benediktsson, Jr.

Bjarni Benediktsson, Jr., is an Icelandic politician and leader of Icelandic Independence Party.Bjarni was elected leader of the conservative Independence Party at its national convention on 29 March 2009 with 58.1 percent of the vote, about a month before the April 2009 Icelandic legislative...

Bjarni Benediktsson (30 April 1908 – 10 July 1970) was Prime Minister

Prime Minister of Iceland

The Prime Minister of Iceland is Iceland's head of government. The prime minister is appointed formally by the President and exercises executive authority along with the cabinet subject to parliamentary support....

 of Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

 from 14 November 1963 to 10 July 1970. His father, Benedikt Sveinsson (1877–1954), was a leader in the independence movement in Iceland

Icelandic independence movement

The Icelandic Independence movement is the term used to describe the various efforts made by Icelanders to achieve self-determination and independence from the Kingdom of Denmark throughout the 19th and early 20th century, until full independence was granted in 1918, followed by the severance of...

 and a member of Althing

Althing

The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant...

i from 1908 to 1931.

Bjarni studied constitutional law and became professor at the University of Iceland

University of Iceland

The University of Iceland is a public research university in Reykjavík, Iceland, and the country's oldest and largest institution of higher education. Founded in 1911, it has grown steadily from a small civil servants' school to a modern comprehensive university, providing instruction for about...

 at the age of only 24. He was elected to the city council in Reykjavík in 1934 as a member of the Independence Party

Independence Party (Iceland)

The Independence Party is a centre-right political party in Iceland. Liberal conservative and Eurosceptic, it is the second-largest party in the Althing, with sixteen seats. The chairman of the party is Bjarni Benediktsson and vice chairman is Ólöf Nordal....

 and from 1940 to 1947 was mayor of the city.

In 1947 he became Foreign Minister and served in various posts in cabinets until 1956. His tenure included the establishment of Iceland as a founding member of NATO in 1949. In 1956, when the left-wing parties formed a coalition government, Bjarni, out of office, became editor of Morgunblaðið

Morgunblaðið

Morgunblaðið is a newspaper published in Iceland, founded by Vilhjálmur Finsen & Olaf Björnsson, brother to the first president. The first issue, only eight pages long, was published on 2 November 1913. Six years later, in 1919, the corporation Árvakur bought out the company...

, a leading conservative newspaper.

In 1959, when the Independence Party formed a coalition government with the Social Democrats, Bjarni became Minister of Justice. Two years later he was elected chairman of the Independence Party

Independence Party (Iceland)

The Independence Party is a centre-right political party in Iceland. Liberal conservative and Eurosceptic, it is the second-largest party in the Althing, with sixteen seats. The chairman of the party is Bjarni Benediktsson and vice chairman is Ólöf Nordal....

 and in 1963 he took over from Ólafur Thors

Ólafur Thors

Ólafur Thors was an Icelandic politician of the Independence Party, who served as Prime Minister of Iceland on five occasions:* 16 May 1942 to 16 December 1942* 21 October 1944 to 4 February 1947...

 as Prime Minister. He served in this position until his death, which was caused by a fire at a government summer house at Þingvellir

Þingvellir

|Thing]] Fields) is a place in Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It is the site of a rift...

; his wife and grandson also perished in the blaze.

Bjarni was the father of Björn Bjarnason

Björn Bjarnason

Björn Bjarnason is an Icelandic politician. His father was Bjarni Benediktsson, Prime Minister of Iceland, Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs and Mayor of Reykjavík....

 and the father-in-law of Vilmundur Gylfason

Vilmundur Gylfason

Vilmundur Gylfason was an Icelandic politician, historian and poet. He was the son of Gylfi Þ. Gíslason and Guðrún Vilmundardóttir.- Family :...

.

External links

• CV from Althingi