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Independence Party (Iceland)
Encyclopedia
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
.
It was formed in 1929 through a merger of the Conservative Party
and the Liberal Party. This united the two parties advocating Icelandic independence
, which was achieved in 1944. From 1929, the party was the largest party in the country until the 2009 election
, when it fell behind the Social Democratic Alliance. Since the 2009 elections opinion polls have indicated that the party has regained its former position as the largest party. Until Benediktsson took the leadership after the 2009 defeat, every Independence Party leader has also held the office of Prime Minister
.
Pragmatic rather than ideological, the Independence Party broadly encompasses all centre-right thought in Iceland. Economically liberal
and opposed to interventionism
, the party is supported most strongly by fishermen, high-earners, and the well-educated, particularly in Reykjavík
. It is less socially conservative
than its Scandinavian counterparts. It supports Icelandic membership of NATO and is the party most opposed to joining
the European Union
. It is a member of the International Democrat Union
and the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
.
and the Liberal Party. It readopted the name of the Old Independence Party
, which had split between the Conservatives and Liberals in 1927. From its first election, in 1931, it was the largest party in Iceland.
The Independence Party won the 2007 elections
, increasing their seat tally in the Althing by 3. It formed a new coalition government
under Haarde with the Social Democratic Alliance, after their current coalition partner, the Progressive Party
, lost heavily in the elections.
In the 2009 elections, the Independence Party dropped from 25–26 to 16 seats in the Althing
, becoming Iceland's second-largest party following the Social Democratic Alliance (which gained two seats, to 20.)
, serving as a 'catch-all' party, similar to the British Conservative Party
. The party, like the British Conservatives, is primarily 'pragmatic', as opposed to ideological, and its name is seen as an allusion to being independent of dogma. For most of its period of political dominance, the party has relied upon coalition government, and has made coalitions with all major parties in parliament.
The Independence Party has generally been economically liberal
and advocated limited government intervention in the economy. It was originally committed to laissez-faire
economics, but shifted its economy left-wards in the 1930s, accepting the creation of a welfare state
.
On social issues, the party has been less conservative on social issues
than centre-right parties in Scandinavia. The party was the only consistent advocate for the end of prohibition
of beer, and provided three-quarters of voters in favour of legalisation; the ban was lifted in 1989.
Of all Iceland's parties, the Indepencence Party is the most opposed to membership of the European Union
. The party's position on EU membership was confirmed at its national congress on March 2009. Its near-permanent position as Iceland's largest party has guaranteed Iceland's Atlanticist
stance. The party is in favour of allowing Icelanders to participate in peacekeeping
missions, including in Afghanistan
.
. It has a broad base of support, but is most strongly supported by Iceland's large fishing community and by businesses. On the biggest divide in Icelandic politics, between urban and rural areas, the Independence Party is firmly supported by the urban population, mostly found in Reykjavík
.
The Independence Party has always attempted to avoid appealing to a social class, and Iceland has never developed a political cleavage based on class. As such, the party is relatively successful at attracting working class voters, which partly comes from the party's strong advocacy of independence in the 1930s. However, most of its strength is in the middle class, and the party is disproportionately supported by those on high incomes and those with university educations.
The party has long been endorsed by Morgunblaðið
, the Icelandic newspaper of record
. Davíð Oddsson
, the longest-serving Prime Minister
, is one of two editors of the paper. The paper was also historically supported by the afternoon newspaper Visir, now part of DV
.
. The Citizens' Party split from the party in 1983, but collapsed in 1994.
The Reykjavík
youth branch is called Heimdallur
.
The party has a very large membership base, with 10% of the population being a member of the party.
All former chairmen of the party have held the office of the Prime Minister of Iceland:
Ólafur Thors
, Bjarni Benediktsson
, Jóhann Hafstein
, Geir Hallgrímsson
, Þorsteinn Pálsson
, Davíð Oddsson
and Geir H. Haarde. Jón Þorláksson
, the first chairman of the Independence party was Prime Minister for the Conservative party prior to the foundation of the Independence party. Gunnar Thoroddsen
, who was the party's vice chairman 1974–1981, was Iceland's PM from 1980 to 1983, but the Independence Party did not officially support his government, although some MPs in the party did.
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...
. Liberal conservative
Liberal conservatism
Liberal conservatism also known as progressive conservatism is a variant of political conservatism which incorporates liberal elements. As "conservatism" and "liberalism" have had different meanings over time and across countries, the term "liberal conservatism" has been used in quite different...
and Eurosceptic
Euroscepticism
Euroscepticism is a general term used to describe criticism of the European Union , and opposition to the process of European integration, existing throughout the political spectrum. Traditionally, the main source of euroscepticism has been the notion that integration weakens the nation state...
, it is the second-largest party in the 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...
, with sixteen seats. The chairman of the party is Bjarni Benediktsson
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...
and vice chairman is Ólöf Nordal
Ólöf Nordal
Ólöf Nordal is a member of parliament of the Althing, the Icelandic parliament. She is a member of the Independence Party.-External links:*...
.
It was formed in 1929 through a merger of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (Iceland)
The Conservative Party was a conservative political party in Iceland that existed from 1924 to 1929. It was the first right-wing party in Iceland, and formed in opposition to the agrarian Progressive Party and the left-wing Social Democratic Party. It supported the full independence of Iceland...
and the Liberal Party. This united the two parties advocating Icelandic independence
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...
, which was achieved in 1944. From 1929, the party was the largest party in the country until the 2009 election
Icelandic parliamentary election, 2009
A parliamentary election was held in Iceland on 25 April 2009 following strong pressure from the public as a result of the Icelandic financial crisis...
, when it fell behind the Social Democratic Alliance. Since the 2009 elections opinion polls have indicated that the party has regained its former position as the largest party. Until Benediktsson took the leadership after the 2009 defeat, every Independence Party leader has also held the office of 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....
.
Pragmatic rather than ideological, the Independence Party broadly encompasses all centre-right thought in Iceland. Economically liberal
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
and opposed to interventionism
Economic interventionism
Economic interventionism is an action taken by a government in a market economy or market-oriented mixed economy, beyond the basic regulation of fraud and enforcement of contracts, in an effort to affect its own economy...
, the party is supported most strongly by fishermen, high-earners, and the well-educated, particularly in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
. It is less socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
than its Scandinavian counterparts. It supports Icelandic membership of NATO and is the party most opposed to joining
Euroscepticism
Euroscepticism is a general term used to describe criticism of the European Union , and opposition to the process of European integration, existing throughout the political spectrum. Traditionally, the main source of euroscepticism has been the notion that integration weakens the nation state...
the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. It is a member of the International Democrat Union
International Democrat Union
The International Democrat Union, abbreviated to IDU, is a centre-right international alliance of conservative and liberal-conservative political parties. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, the IDU comprises 45 full or associate members...
and the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
The Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to AECR, is a centre-right anti-federalist European political party defending broader conservative and classical liberal principles. It consists of twelve parties in nine EU member states and Iceland...
.
History
The Independence Party was founded on 25 May 1929 through a merger of the Conservative PartyConservative Party (Iceland)
The Conservative Party was a conservative political party in Iceland that existed from 1924 to 1929. It was the first right-wing party in Iceland, and formed in opposition to the agrarian Progressive Party and the left-wing Social Democratic Party. It supported the full independence of Iceland...
and the Liberal Party. It readopted the name of the Old Independence Party
Old Independence Party
The Old Independence Party was an Icelandic political party. The Old Independence Party langsum and the Old Independence Party þversum denote two fractions that split the party at one time....
, which had split between the Conservatives and Liberals in 1927. From its first election, in 1931, it was the largest party in Iceland.
The Independence Party won the 2007 elections
Icelandic parliamentary election, 2007
The 2007 Icelandic general elections were held on 12 May 2007. In this election, the public elected 63 members of parliament using proportional representation from six constituencies to the Alþingi...
, increasing their seat tally in the Althing by 3. It formed a new coalition government
Cabinet of Iceland
The Cabinet of Iceland is the chief executive body of the Republic of Iceland. It consists of the Prime Minister of Iceland and the cabinet ministers....
under Haarde with the Social Democratic Alliance, after their current coalition partner, the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (Iceland)
The Progressive Party is an agrarian, liberal and centrist party in Iceland. The party is a member of the Liberal International. Current chairman of the party is Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson. He was elected on January 18, 2009. His predecessor was Valgerður Sverrisdóttir, who only served as...
, lost heavily in the elections.
In the 2009 elections, the Independence Party dropped from 25–26 to 16 seats in the 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...
, becoming Iceland's second-largest party following the Social Democratic Alliance (which gained two seats, to 20.)
Ideology
The party has been the sole major right-wing party in Iceland since its inception, and has captured a broad cross-section of centre-right voters. As a result, the party is not as far to the right as most right-wing parties in ScandinaviaScandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, serving as a 'catch-all' party, similar to the British Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. The party, like the British Conservatives, is primarily 'pragmatic', as opposed to ideological, and its name is seen as an allusion to being independent of dogma. For most of its period of political dominance, the party has relied upon coalition government, and has made coalitions with all major parties in parliament.
The Independence Party has generally been economically liberal
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
and advocated limited government intervention in the economy. It was originally committed to laissez-faire
Laissez-faire
In economics, laissez-faire describes an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from state intervention, including restrictive regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies....
economics, but shifted its economy left-wards in the 1930s, accepting the creation of a welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
.
On social issues, the party has been less conservative on social issues
Social issues
Social issues are controversial issues which relate to people's personal lives and interactions. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues...
than centre-right parties in Scandinavia. The party was the only consistent advocate for the end of prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
of beer, and provided three-quarters of voters in favour of legalisation; the ban was lifted in 1989.
Of all Iceland's parties, the Indepencence Party is the most opposed to membership of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. The party's position on EU membership was confirmed at its national congress on March 2009. Its near-permanent position as Iceland's largest party has guaranteed Iceland's Atlanticist
Atlanticism
Atlanticism is a philosophy of cooperation among Western European and North American nations regarding political, economic, and defense issues, with the purpose to maintain the security of the participating countries, and to protect the values that unite them: "democracy, individual liberty and...
stance. The party is in favour of allowing Icelanders to participate in peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
missions, including in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Political support
The party is the most successful right-wing party in the Nordic countriesNordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
. It has a broad base of support, but is most strongly supported by Iceland's large fishing community and by businesses. On the biggest divide in Icelandic politics, between urban and rural areas, the Independence Party is firmly supported by the urban population, mostly found in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
.
The Independence Party has always attempted to avoid appealing to a social class, and Iceland has never developed a political cleavage based on class. As such, the party is relatively successful at attracting working class voters, which partly comes from the party's strong advocacy of independence in the 1930s. However, most of its strength is in the middle class, and the party is disproportionately supported by those on high incomes and those with university educations.
The party has long been endorsed by 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...
, the Icelandic newspaper of record
Newspaper of record
Newspaper of record is a term that may refer either to any publicly available newspaper that has been authorized by a government to publish public or legal notices , or any major newspaper that has a large circulation and whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered professional and...
. Davíð Oddsson
Davíð Oddsson
Davíð Oddsson is an Icelandic politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister of Iceland, holding office from 1991 to 2004. He also served as Foreign Minister from 2004 to 2005. Previously, he was Mayor of Reykjavík from 1982 to 1991, and he chaired the board of governors of the Central Bank of...
, the longest-serving 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....
, is one of two editors of the paper. The paper was also historically supported by the afternoon newspaper Visir, now part of DV
DV (newspaper)
DV is an Icelandic newspaper published by DV ehf. It came into existence in 1981 when two formerly independent newspapers, "Vísir" and "Dagblaðið", merged. It is published four times a week from Monday to Friday...
.
Organisation
The party has a tradition of individualism and strong personalities, which has proven difficult for the leadership to manage. The Commonwealth Party split in 1941, while the Republican Party left in 1953: both in opposition to the left-wards shift of the party away from classical liberalismClassical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
. The Citizens' Party split from the party in 1983, but collapsed in 1994.
The Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
youth branch is called Heimdallur
Heimdallur (organisation)
Heimdallur is the Reykjavík youth wing of the Independence Party of Iceland. It is politically conservative, like its mother party, but sometimes expresses more classical liberal views....
.
The party has a very large membership base, with 10% of the population being a member of the party.
Election results
| Election | Votes | Vote % | Seats | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 26,428 | 39.5 | 20 | 1st |
| 1949 | 28,546 | 39.5 | 19 | 1st |
| 1953 | 28,738 | 37.1 | 21 | 1st |
| 1956 | 35,027 | 42.4 | 19 | 1st |
| June 1959 | 36,029 | 42.5 | 20 | 1st |
| October 1959 | 33,800 | 39.7 | 24 | 1st |
| 1963 | 37,021 | 41.4 | 24 | 1st |
| 1967 | 36,036 | 37.5 | 23 | 1st |
| 1971 | 38,170 | 36.2 | 22 | 1st |
| 1974 | 48,764 | 42.7 | 25 | 1st |
| 1978 Icelandic parliamentary election, 1978 The 1978 Icelandic Parliamentary election took place on 25 June 1978. As a result of the election a coalition was formed between the People's Alliance, Social Democratic Party and the Progressive Party with Ólafur Jóhannesson as Prime Minister.... |
39,982 | 32.7 | 20 | 1st |
| 1979 | 43,838 | 35.4 | 21 | 1st |
| 1983 | 50,251 | 38.6 | 23 | 1st |
| 1987 | 41,490 | 27.2 | 18 | 1st |
| 1991 | 60,836 | 38.6 | 26 | 1st |
| 1995 Icelandic parliamentary election, 1995 The 1995 Icelandic parliamentary election took place on 8 April 1995 in Iceland to elect members of the Althing.... |
61,183 | 37.1 | 25 | 1st |
| 1999 | 67,513 | 40.7 | 26 | 1st |
| 2003 Icelandic parliamentary election, 2003 The 2003 Icelandic parliamentary election took place on 19 May 2003 to elect the members of the Althing of Iceland.-Background:For the previous 12 years Davíð Oddsson of the Independence Party had been Prime Minister of Iceland and since the 1995 election had ben ruling in coalition with the... |
61,701 | 33.7 | 22 | 1st |
| 2007 Icelandic parliamentary election, 2007 The 2007 Icelandic general elections were held on 12 May 2007. In this election, the public elected 63 members of parliament using proportional representation from six constituencies to the Alþingi... |
66,749 | 36.6 | 25 | 1st |
| 2009 Icelandic parliamentary election, 2009 A parliamentary election was held in Iceland on 25 April 2009 following strong pressure from the public as a result of the Icelandic financial crisis... |
44,369 | 23.7 | 16 | 2nd |
Leaders
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...
, Bjarni Benediktsson
Bjarni Benediktsson
Bjarni Benediktsson was Prime Minister of Iceland from 14 November 1963 to 10 July 1970. His father, Benedikt Sveinsson , was a leader in the independence movement in Iceland and a member of Althingi from 1908 to 1931.Bjarni studied constitutional law and became professor at the University of...
, Jóhann Hafstein
Jóhann Hafstein
Jóhann Hafstein was elected to Althingi for Reykjavik in 1946 which he represented until 1978. Jóhann was Prime Minister of Iceland from 10 July 1970 to 14 July 1971, for the Independence Party. Member of the Althing 1946–1978. Hafstein was Speaker of the Lower House of the Althing 1959–1961 and...
, Geir Hallgrímsson
Geir Hallgrímsson
Geir Hallgrímsson was the 16th Prime Minister of Iceland for the Independence Party from 28 August 1974 to 1 September 1978. Geir was mayor of Reykjavík from 1959 to 1972. During his term as mayor he greatly expanded the city and improved the inner structure...
, Þorsteinn Pálsson
Þorsteinn Pálsson
Þorsteinn Pálsson or Thorsteinn Pálsson is a former Prime Minister of Iceland for the Independence Party. He served from 8 July 1987 to 28 September 1988...
, Davíð Oddsson
Davíð Oddsson
Davíð Oddsson is an Icelandic politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister of Iceland, holding office from 1991 to 2004. He also served as Foreign Minister from 2004 to 2005. Previously, he was Mayor of Reykjavík from 1982 to 1991, and he chaired the board of governors of the Central Bank of...
and Geir H. Haarde. Jón Þorláksson
Jón Þorláksson
Jón Þorláksson was Prime Minister of Iceland from 8 July 1926 to 28 August 1927. He was the only leader of the Conservative Party which merged with the Liberal Party to form the Independence Party in 1929, and the Mayor of Reykjavík from 1933 to his death.-Career:Jón Þorláksson was a farmer’s...
, the first chairman of the Independence party was Prime Minister for the Conservative party prior to the foundation of the Independence party. Gunnar Thoroddsen
Gunnar Thoroddsen
Gunnar Thoroddsen was Prime Minister of Iceland from 8 February 1980 to 26 May 1983. Gunnar is the youngest man ever elected to the Althing, Iceland's Parliament. He was 23 years old when he was elected as MP in 1934. He served as an Ambassador of Iceland in Denmark from 1965 to 1969 when he ran...
, who was the party's vice chairman 1974–1981, was Iceland's PM from 1980 to 1983, but the Independence Party did not officially support his government, although some MPs in the party did.
| Leader | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jón Þorláksson Jón Þorláksson Jón Þorláksson was Prime Minister of Iceland from 8 July 1926 to 28 August 1927. He was the only leader of the Conservative Party which merged with the Liberal Party to form the Independence Party in 1929, and the Mayor of Reykjavík from 1933 to his death.-Career:Jón Þorláksson was a farmer’s... |
29 May 1929 | 2 October 1934 |
| 2nd | 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... |
2 October 1934 | 22 October 1961 |
| 3rd | Bjarni Benediktsson Bjarni Benediktsson Bjarni Benediktsson was Prime Minister of Iceland from 14 November 1963 to 10 July 1970. His father, Benedikt Sveinsson , was a leader in the independence movement in Iceland and a member of Althingi from 1908 to 1931.Bjarni studied constitutional law and became professor at the University of... |
22 October 1961 | 10 July 1970 |
| 4th | Jóhann Hafstein Jóhann Hafstein Jóhann Hafstein was elected to Althingi for Reykjavik in 1946 which he represented until 1978. Jóhann was Prime Minister of Iceland from 10 July 1970 to 14 July 1971, for the Independence Party. Member of the Althing 1946–1978. Hafstein was Speaker of the Lower House of the Althing 1959–1961 and... |
10 July 1970 | 12 October 1973 |
| 5th | Geir Hallgrímsson Geir Hallgrímsson Geir Hallgrímsson was the 16th Prime Minister of Iceland for the Independence Party from 28 August 1974 to 1 September 1978. Geir was mayor of Reykjavík from 1959 to 1972. During his term as mayor he greatly expanded the city and improved the inner structure... |
12 October 1973 | 6 November 1983 |
| 6th | Þorsteinn Pálsson Þorsteinn Pálsson Þorsteinn Pálsson or Thorsteinn Pálsson is a former Prime Minister of Iceland for the Independence Party. He served from 8 July 1987 to 28 September 1988... |
6 November 1983 | 10 March 1991 |
| 7th | Davíð Oddsson Davíð Oddsson Davíð Oddsson is an Icelandic politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister of Iceland, holding office from 1991 to 2004. He also served as Foreign Minister from 2004 to 2005. Previously, he was Mayor of Reykjavík from 1982 to 1991, and he chaired the board of governors of the Central Bank of... |
10 March 1991 | 16 October 2005 |
| 8th | Geir Haarde Geir Haarde Geir Hilmar Haarde was Prime Minister of Iceland from 15 June 2006 to 1 February 2009 and Chairman of the Icelandic Independence Party from 2005 to 2009. Geir initially led a coalition between his party and the Progressive Party... |
16 October 2005 | 29 March 2009 |
| 9th | Bjarni Benediktsson 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... |
29 March 2009 | Present |
External links
- Official website
- The National Youth Organisation of the Independence Party, named Samband ungra sjálfstæðismanna or SUS in IcelandicIcelandic languageIcelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
, is one of the oldest political youth movements in Iceland. Its chairman is Ólafur Örn Nielsen. - About the Independence Party