Steingrímur J. Sigfússon
Encyclopedia
Steingrímur Jóhann Sigfússon (born 4 August 1955) is an Iceland
ic politician and Iceland's Minister of Finance. He has been a member of the Althing
(Icelandic parliament) since 1983 and is the founding chairman of the Left-Green Movement
(Vinstri hreyfingin – grænt framboð). He was also the Minister for Agriculture and Communications from 1988–1991.
Steingrímur was born in Gunnarsstaðir, a large sheep farm between Garður and Þórshöfn
in the Þistilfjörður
region of northeast Iceland (Svalbarðshreppur
municipality). In his younger days he was an avid sportsman, both track and field and also a volleyball player. On 16 January 2006, Steingrímur was injured in a car accident not far from Blönduós
, Iceland: he has now recovered.
He supported the end of the US military presence in Iceland, but believed Iceland itself should have taken the initiative in ending this presence. Since September 2006, when US forces
left Naval Air Station Keflavik
, he has strongly opposed any possible development of an Icelandic army
seeing the country's need for armed forces as practically non-existent. He believes that civilian institutions such as the police
and the coast guard
should be organized in order to provide the needed protection in the unlikely event of a major disturbance.
In November 2006, he published the book Við öll – Íslenskt velferðarsamfélag á tímamótum ("All of Us – Icelandic Welfare Society at Crossroads"), laying out his political ideology.
His popularity among the Icelandic nation has been diminished since his time of election, most probably due to massive tax hikes at the time that he has served in the position as Minister of Finance.
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...
ic politician and Iceland's Minister of Finance. He 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...
(Icelandic parliament) since 1983 and is the founding chairman of 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...
(Vinstri hreyfingin – grænt framboð). He was also the Minister for Agriculture and Communications from 1988–1991.
Steingrímur was born in Gunnarsstaðir, a large sheep farm between Garður and Þórshöfn
Þórshöfn
Þórshöfn is a small fishing village in northeast Iceland, located on the northern coast of the Langanes peninsula on the Þistilfjörður bay.The village has a population of 380 people. It is the administrative centre of Langanesbyggð municipality and of the neighbouring Svalbarðshreppur municipality...
in the Þistilfjörður
Þistilfjörður
Þistilfjörður is a bay in northeast Iceland, between the Rifstangi and Langanes peninsulas, near the town of Þórshöfn . The name also refers to the region immediately to the southwest of the bay, roughly corresponding to Svalbarðshreppur municipality....
region of northeast Iceland (Svalbarðshreppur
Svalbarðshreppur
Svalbarðshreppur is a municipality in northeastern Iceland, between Norðurþing and Langanesbyggð.As of 1 January 2011, it had a total population of 106 and a population density of 0.1 per square kilometre. The total area was 1,155 km². The municipality is administered from Þórshöfn in the...
municipality). In his younger days he was an avid sportsman, both track and field and also a volleyball player. On 16 January 2006, Steingrímur was injured in a car accident not far from Blönduós
Blönduós
Blönduós is a town and municipality in the north of Iceland, in the county of Austur-Húnavatnssýsla, 245 km from Reykjavík.The town has a population of around 850 and a small 9-hole golf course, and is a good base for touring the Húnaflói area....
, Iceland: he has now recovered.
He supported the end of the US military presence in Iceland, but believed Iceland itself should have taken the initiative in ending this presence. Since September 2006, when US forces
Iceland Defense Force
The Iceland Defense Force was a military command of the United States armed forces from 1951 to 2006. The IDF, created at the request of NATO, came into existence when the United States signed an agreement to provide for the defense of Iceland, which does not, and did not, have its own unified...
left Naval Air Station Keflavik
Naval Air Station Keflavik
United States Naval Air Station Keflavik is a former NATO facility at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland. It is located on the Reykjanes peninsula on the south-west portion of the island...
, he has strongly opposed any possible development of an Icelandic army
Military of Iceland
Icelands defences consist of the Icelandic Coast Guard which patrols Icelandic waters and airspace and other services such as the National Commissioner's National Security and Special Forces Units....
seeing the country's need for armed forces as practically non-existent. He believes that civilian institutions such as the police
Icelandic Police
The Icelandic National Police is the main police force of Iceland. It is responsible for law enforcement on all Icelandic territories except at sea where the Icelandic Coast Guard enforces the law. The two services assist each other as needed.- History :...
and the coast guard
Icelandic Coast Guard
The Icelandic Coast Guard is the service responsible for Iceland's coastal defense and maritime and aeronautical search and rescue. Origins of the Icelandic Coast Guard can be traced to 1859, when the corvette Ørnen started patrolling Icelandic waters...
should be organized in order to provide the needed protection in the unlikely event of a major disturbance.
In November 2006, he published the book Við öll – Íslenskt velferðarsamfélag á tímamótum ("All of Us – Icelandic Welfare Society at Crossroads"), laying out his political ideology.
His popularity among the Icelandic nation has been diminished since his time of election, most probably due to massive tax hikes at the time that he has served in the position as Minister of Finance.