| Author Details | (Compiler) |
|---|---|
| Author (Corporate) | Cardiff EDC |
| Publication Date | 2016 |
| Content Type | Blog & Commentary, News, Overview |
Summary:Information Guide focusing on the sources covering a legislative election held in Iceland on 29 October 2016. Further information:The 63 members of the Iceland Parliament (Althing) are elected using open list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies. The majority of the seats are distributed using constituency results and determined via the d'Hondt method. A set of supplementary seats are awarded to parties that crossed a 5% national electoral threshold. The election was brought forward from its original date in April 2017, in the aftermath of the Panama Papers revelations in April 2016. The revelations particularly affected Iceland, as they exposed financial dealings of Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson (Progressive Party) and his wife. Mr Gunnlaugsson led a coalition cabinet with the Independence Party. Following mass protests and repeated calls for an early election, an agreement was found with the opposition for an election to be held in October 2016. Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson became the Progressive Party chairman in the lead up to the election. Media outlets reported widely on the likelihood of the Pirate Party coming on top in this election, despite their pledge not to negotiate coalition agreements with the main (incumbent) parties. The Independence Party was eventually the winner (29%), followed by the Left-Green Movement (15.9%) and the Pirate Party (14.5%). The incumbent Progressive Party suffered considerable losses. Coalition talks led by the Independence Party were lengthy and did not successfully conclude until January 2017. A new centre-right coalition government comprising the Independence Party, Reform Party and the Bright Future eventually took office on 11 January 2017. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Subject Tags | National Politics, Parliamentary | Legislative Elections |
| Countries / Regions | Iceland |
