| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Althingi / Parliament |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
25 April 2009 |
| Timing and scope of renewal |
Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament following the premature dissolution of this body on 13 March 2009. Elections had previously taken place on 12 May 2007. |
The April 2009 elections were held against the backdrop of the global financial crisis, which brought down the Government in January 2009. They were constitutionally due by May 2011.
In the previous elections, held in May 2007, then Prime Minister Geir Haarde's Independence Party (IP) won 25 seats. The IP has dominated Icelandic politics since the country gained independence from Denmark in 1944. Since 1995, it had led a coalition government with the Progressive Party (PP). After the 2007 elections, however, Mr. Haarde formed a new coalition government with the Social Democratic Alliance Party (SDA), which took 18 seats.
The nation of 315,000 inhabitants had enjoyed rapid economic growth thanks to investments in the financial sector. However, the financial crisis that erupted in the United States in 2008 severely damaged Iceland's economy. In October 2008, the country's three main banks collapsed within the space of a week. The national debt soared to ten times the gross domestic product.
Despite emergency aid of nearly US$ 1.4 billion under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout plan and an additional loan of US$ 2.5 billion from its Nordic neighbours (Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden), the country's currency, the krona, continued to plummet and unemployment and inflation spiralled. The IMF predicted that the economy would shrink by 9.6 per cent in 2009, the biggest slump since independence. On 24 January 2009, nearly 7,000 citizens protested in front of the parliament building, demanding that the Prime Minister resign. The Prime Minister tried in vain to save the situation by proposing early elections in May but ultimately announced that he would step down on 26 January.
On 1 February 2009, a caretaker government was formed by the SDA and the Left - Green Movement (LGM). Ms. Johanna Sigurdardottir (SDA) became the country's first female prime minister.
On 13 March, President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson issued a decree dissolving parliament and calling elections for 25 April. Former Prime Minister Haarde announced that he would not run for health reasons. Mr. Bjarni Benediktsson, Jr. led the IP in the 2009 elections.
The main contenders were the SDA, the LGM, the IP, the PP and the Liberal Party (which took four seats in 2004). Two new parties formed after the financial crisis - the Civic Movement (CM) and the Democracy Movement (DC) - were also vying for seats.
Although the SDA and the LGM said they would form a new coalition government, they disagreed on a key issue, the country's accession to the European Union (EU). Ms. Sigurdardottir's SDA pledged to join the EU and introduce its currency, the euro, in order to save the country's economy. The LGM, on the other hand, led by Finance Minister Steingrimur Sigfusson, proposed a currency union with Norway. It pledged to organize a referendum before the country joins the EU, as did the CM.
The other parties were also divided over EU membership. The IP argued that accession would not be in the country's interests because Iceland's fisheries would be regulated by the EU, while the PP promised to start discussions on EU membership.
In all, 85.10 per cent of some 228,000 registered voters turned out at the polls.
The SDA came in first with 20 seats; its coalition partner, the LGM, took 14. The IP and the PP took 16 and nine seats respectively. The CM won four while the LP and the DC failed to win parliamentary representation.
The number of women increased to 27 (42.86 per cent), up from 20 (31.75 per cent) in the 2007 elections. The elections also resulted in a high turnover of members, with 27 candidates being elected to parliament for the first time.
On 15 May, the newly elected Parliament held its first session and elected Ms. Ásta R. Jóhannesdóttirof (SDA) as its new Speaker.
In the meantime, on 11 May, the SDA and the LGM formed a new coalition government, thus renewing Ms. Sigurdardottir's premiership. It was the first left-wing government in Iceland. For the first time in over six decades, the IP did not participate in the government. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 25 April 2009 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
227'896
193'934 (85.1%)
6'754
187'180 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% of votes |
|
|
| Social Democratic Alliance (SDA) |
|
55'758 |
|
|
29.79 |
|
|
| Independence Party (IP) |
|
44'369 |
|
|
23.70 |
|
|
| Left - Green Movement (LGM) |
|
40'580 |
|
|
21.68 |
|
|
| Progressive Party (PP) |
|
27'699 |
|
|
14.80 |
|
|
| Civic Movement (CM) |
|
13'519 |
|
|
7.22 |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total of seats
|
Gain/Loss |
|
|
|
| Social Democratic Alliance (SDA) |
20
|
2 |
|
|
|
| Independence Party (IP) |
16
|
-9 |
|
|
|
| Left - Green Movement (LGM) |
14
|
5 |
|
|
|
| Progressive Party (PP) |
9
|
2 |
|
|
|
| Civic Movement (CM) |
4
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
36
27
42.86%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
|
| Comments |
| Source: Parliament (04.05.2009, 14.12.2011) |
|
