Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Encyclopedia
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir , (born 4 October 1942), is the Prime Minister of Iceland
. Many years a politician, she was previously Iceland
's Minister of Social Affairs and Social Security
from 1987–1994 and 2007–2009. She has been a member of the Althing
(Iceland's parliament) for Reykjavík
constituencies since 1978, winning re-election on eight successive occasions. She became Iceland's first female Prime Minister and the world's first openly lesbian head of government
on 1 February 2009.
Jóhanna is a social democrat
and Iceland's longest-serving member of Parliament. In the 1990s, when she lost a bid to head the party, she lifted her fist and declared "Minn tími mun koma!" ("My time will come!"), a phrase that became a popular Icelandic expression. In 2009, Forbes
listed her among the 100 Most Powerful Women in the world.
and studied at the Commercial College of Iceland, a vocational high school operated by the Chamber of Commerce. After graduating with her commercial diploma in 1960, she worked as a flight attendant
with Loftleiðir
(a predecessor of Icelandair
) and as an office worker. She was active in the trade union movement from early in her professional life, presiding over the Board of the Icelandic Cabin Crew Association in 1966 and 1969 and over the Board of Svölurnar, Association of Former Stewardesses in 1975. She was also a member of the Board of the Commercial Workers' Union from 1976 to 1983.
on the list of the Social Democratic Party
for the Reykjavík constituency. She enjoyed early success in her parliamentary career, serving as deputy speaker of the Althing in 1979 and in 1983–84. She was elected vice-chairman of the Social Democratic Party in 1984, a post she held until 1993. She was also Minister of Social Affairs in four separate Cabinets
from 1987 to 1994, when she left the Social Democratic Party after losing the leadership contest to form a new party Þjóðvaki
(variously translated as "Awakening of the Nation" or the "National Movement"); the two parties remerged in 2000 to form the present Social Democratic Alliance. Her 1994 declaration Minn tími mun koma! ("My time will come!"), after she lost the contest for the leadership of the Social Democratic party, has become an iconic phrase in the Icelandic language
.
From 1994 to 2003, she was an active member of the opposition in the Althing, serving on numerous parliamentary committees. After the 2003 elections
, in which she stood in the Reykjavík South constituency (after the split of the old Reykjavík constituency), she was re-elected deputy speaker of the Althing. The 2007 elections
, in which she stood in the Reykjavík North constituency, saw the return of the Social Democratic Alliance to government in coalition with the Independence Party
, and Jóhanna was named Minister of Social Affairs and Social Security.
tendered the resignation of the coalition government to the President of Iceland
, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
. The move followed fourteen weeks of protests
over the government's handling of the financial crisis, protests which had intensified from 20 January.
After talks with the leaders of the five parties represented in the Althing, the President asked the Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Green Movement
to form a new government and to prepare for elections in the spring.
Jóhanna was proposed as Prime Minister for the new government, among other things because of her popularity among the general public and her good relations with the Left-Green Movement
. An opinion poll by Capacent Gallup
in December 2008 found 73% approval of her actions as a minister, more than any other member of the Cabinet
: she was also the only minister to have improved her approval ratings over 2008.
The new government needed the support of the Progressive Party
in the Althing. Negotiations continued up to the evening of 31 January, and the new Cabinet was appointed on 1 February. Independent polling showed that Jóhanna and Steingrímur J. Sigfússon
, leader of the Left-Green Movement, the other party in the coalition government, enjoyed considerable support outside their own parties.
On 25 April 2009, a parliamentary election
was held in Iceland
, following strong pressure from the public
as a result of the Icelandic financial crisis. The Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Green Movement
, which formed the outgoing coalition
government under Jóhanna, both made gains and now together have an overall majority of seats in the Althing
(Iceland's parliament). The Progressive Party
also made gains, and the new Citizens' Movement
, formed after the January 2009 protests, gained four seats. The Independence Party
, which had been in power for eighteen years until January 2009, lost a third of its support and nine seats in the Althing. On 10 May 2009, the new government was announced, with Jóhanna staying on as Prime Minister.
In 2010, after her government banned strip clubs, paying for nudity in restaurants, and other means of employers profiting from employees' nudity, Jóhanna said "The Nordic countries are leading the way on women's equality, recognizing women as equal citizens rather than commodities for sale."
After their divorce, she joined in a civil union with Jónína Leósdóttir
(born 1954), an author and playwright, in 2002.
In 2010, when same-sex marriage was legalised in Iceland, Jóhanna and Jónína changed their civil union into a marriage, thus becoming one of the first same-sex married couples in Iceland.
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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....
. Many years a politician, she was previously 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...
's Minister of Social Affairs and Social Security
Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Security (Iceland)
The Icelandic Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Security is a cabinet-level ministry within the government of Iceland. Since 10 May 2009, the minister has been Árni Páll Árnason of Social Democratic Alliance.-Former ministers:...
from 1987–1994 and 2007–2009. She has been a member of 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...
(Iceland's parliament) for 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...
constituencies since 1978, winning re-election on eight successive occasions. She became Iceland's first female Prime Minister and the world's first openly lesbian head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
on 1 February 2009.
Jóhanna is a social democrat
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
and Iceland's longest-serving member of Parliament. In the 1990s, when she lost a bid to head the party, she lifted her fist and declared "Minn tími mun koma!" ("My time will come!"), a phrase that became a popular Icelandic expression. In 2009, Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
listed her among the 100 Most Powerful Women in the world.
Education and early career
Jóhanna was born in ReykjavíkReykjavík
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...
and studied at the Commercial College of Iceland, a vocational high school operated by the Chamber of Commerce. After graduating with her commercial diploma in 1960, she worked as a flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
with Loftleiðir
Loftleiðir
Loftleiðir HF, internationally known as Icelandic Airlines or Loftleiðir Icelandic, was a private Icelandic airline headquartered on the grounds of Reykjavík Airport in Reykjavík, which operated mostly trans-atlantic flights linking Europe and America, pioneering the low-cost flight business...
(a predecessor of Icelandair
Icelandair
Icelandair ehf is the flag carrier airline of Iceland, based on the grounds of Reykjavík Airport in Reykjavík. It is part of the Icelandair Group and currently operates scheduled services to 31 cities in 13 countries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean out of its hub at Keflavík International Airport...
) and as an office worker. She was active in the trade union movement from early in her professional life, presiding over the Board of the Icelandic Cabin Crew Association in 1966 and 1969 and over the Board of Svölurnar, Association of Former Stewardesses in 1975. She was also a member of the Board of the Commercial Workers' Union from 1976 to 1983.
Political career
Jóhanna was elected to the Althing in 1978Icelandic 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....
on the list of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Iceland)
The Social Democratic Party was an Icelandic Political Party based on social-democratic ideas. It was founded in 1916 as the political representation of the trade unions of Iceland....
for the Reykjavík constituency. She enjoyed early success in her parliamentary career, serving as deputy speaker of the Althing in 1979 and in 1983–84. She was elected vice-chairman of the Social Democratic Party in 1984, a post she held until 1993. She was also Minister of Social Affairs in four separate Cabinets
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....
from 1987 to 1994, when she left the Social Democratic Party after losing the leadership contest to form a new party Þjóðvaki
Þjóðvaki
Awakening of the Nation or National Movement was an Icelandic left-wing populist political party.It was formed in 1994. One of the co-founders was Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir after she lost an internal election for the leadership of the Social Democratic Party. She was joined by members of the former...
(variously translated as "Awakening of the Nation" or the "National Movement"); the two parties remerged in 2000 to form the present Social Democratic Alliance. Her 1994 declaration Minn tími mun koma! ("My time will come!"), after she lost the contest for the leadership of the Social Democratic party, has become an iconic phrase in the Icelandic language
Icelandic language
Icelandic 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...
.
From 1994 to 2003, she was an active member of the opposition in the Althing, serving on numerous parliamentary committees. After the 2003 elections
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...
, in which she stood in the Reykjavík South constituency (after the split of the old Reykjavík constituency), she was re-elected deputy speaker of the Althing. 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...
, in which she stood in the Reykjavík North constituency, saw the return of the Social Democratic Alliance to government in coalition with 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 Jóhanna was named Minister of Social Affairs and Social Security.
Prime Minister
On 26 January 2009, Prime Minister Geir HaardeGeir 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...
tendered the resignation of the coalition government to the President of Iceland
President of Iceland
The President of Iceland is Iceland's elected head of state. The president is elected to a four-year term by universal adult suffrage and has limited powers. The president is not the head of government; the Prime Minister of Iceland is the head of government. There have been five presidents since...
, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson is the fifth and current President of Iceland. He has served as President since 1996; he was unopposed in 2000, re-elected for a third term in 2004, and re-elected unopposed for a fourth term in 2008. He is the longest-serving left-wing president in the history of...
. The move followed fourteen weeks of protests
2009 Icelandic financial crisis protests
The 2009-2011 Icelandic financial crisis protests, also referred to as the Kitchenware Revolution or Icelandic Revolution occurred in the wake of the Icelandic financial crisis. There had been sporadic protests since October 2008 against the Icelandic government's handling of the financial crisis...
over the government's handling of the financial crisis, protests which had intensified from 20 January.
After talks with the leaders of the five parties represented in the Althing, the President asked the Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Green Movement
Left-Green Movement
The Left-Green Movement is a left-wing political party in Iceland.It was founded in 1999 by a few members of Alþingi who did not approve of the planned merger of the left parties in Iceland that resulted in the founding of the Social Democratic Alliance...
to form a new government and to prepare for elections in the spring.
Jóhanna was proposed as Prime Minister for the new government, among other things because of her popularity among the general public and her good relations with the Left-Green Movement
Left-Green Movement
The Left-Green Movement is a left-wing political party in Iceland.It was founded in 1999 by a few members of Alþingi who did not approve of the planned merger of the left parties in Iceland that resulted in the founding of the Social Democratic Alliance...
. An opinion poll by Capacent Gallup
The Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization, is primarily a research-based performance-management consulting company. Some of Gallup's key practice areas are - Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement and Well-Being. Gallup has over 40 offices in 27 countries. World headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Operational...
in December 2008 found 73% approval of her actions as a minister, more than any other member of the Cabinet
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....
: she was also the only minister to have improved her approval ratings over 2008.
The new government needed the support of 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...
in the Althing. Negotiations continued up to the evening of 31 January, and the new Cabinet was appointed on 1 February. Independent polling showed that Jóhanna and Steingrímur J. Sigfússon
Steingrímur J. Sigfússon
Steingrímur Jóhann Sigfússon is an Icelandic politician and Iceland's Minister of Finance. He has been a member of the Althing since 1983 and is the founding chairman of the Left-Green Movement...
, leader of the Left-Green Movement, the other party in the coalition government, enjoyed considerable support outside their own parties.
On 25 April 2009, a parliamentary 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...
was held in 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...
, following strong pressure from the public
2009 Icelandic financial crisis protests
The 2009-2011 Icelandic financial crisis protests, also referred to as the Kitchenware Revolution or Icelandic Revolution occurred in the wake of the Icelandic financial crisis. There had been sporadic protests since October 2008 against the Icelandic government's handling of the financial crisis...
as a result of the Icelandic financial crisis. The Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Green Movement
Left-Green Movement
The Left-Green Movement is a left-wing political party in Iceland.It was founded in 1999 by a few members of Alþingi who did not approve of the planned merger of the left parties in Iceland that resulted in the founding of the Social Democratic Alliance...
, which formed the outgoing coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
government under Jóhanna, both made gains and now together have an overall majority of 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...
(Iceland's parliament). 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...
also made gains, and the new Citizens' Movement
Citizens' Movement (Iceland)
The Citizens' Movement is a political party in Iceland, founded by a number of grassroots movements in the lead up to the 2009 election during the Global Recession, which hit Iceland particularly hard....
, formed after the January 2009 protests, gained four seats. 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....
, which had been in power for eighteen years until January 2009, lost a third of its support and nine seats in the Althing. On 10 May 2009, the new government was announced, with Jóhanna staying on as Prime Minister.
In 2010, after her government banned strip clubs, paying for nudity in restaurants, and other means of employers profiting from employees' nudity, Jóhanna said "The Nordic countries are leading the way on women's equality, recognizing women as equal citizens rather than commodities for sale."
Personal life
Jóhanna married Þorvaldur Steinar Jóhannesson in 1970 and the couple had two sons (born 1972 and 1977).After their divorce, she joined in a civil union with Jónína Leósdóttir
Jónína Leósdóttir
Jónína Leósdóttir is an Icelandic novelist, playwright and former journalist. She is the author of a dozen plays, six novels, two biographies and a collection of articles she originally wrote for a women's magazine. She is married to the Icelandic Prime Minister, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, who is the...
(born 1954), an author and playwright, in 2002.
In 2010, when same-sex marriage was legalised in Iceland, Jóhanna and Jónína changed their civil union into a marriage, thus becoming one of the first same-sex married couples in Iceland.
External links
- Personal blog
- Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir interviewed by Alyssa McDonald in The NewStatesman.
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