How can I follow the Iceland election in English

June 25, 2016 11:25 AM

I would like to follow the Icelandic election... can your recommend some news sources

my interest was piqued after a report that Iceland is voting for president while 10% of the country is out of the country for Euro Cup. That was a funny report, but I am interested in more analysis of the political situation post-Panama Papers, and how the pirate party and progressive options will fare.

I found some basic info sites on the electoral system, but mostly just scant wikipedia stuff and some old content from 2008-2009.

Can anyone recommend a good English-language news source? Something with news plus some analysis.

posted by chapps to Law & Government (2 answers total)

Best answer: The (preliminary) results are in and Guðni Th. Jóhannesson is Iceland's new president. At this time, with 87,293 votes counted, he leads with 38,6%. Halla Tómasdóttir in second place with 29,4%, Andri Snær Magnason in third with 13,9% and Davíð Oddsson (whose name you might recognize, he is a former prime minister and was chairman of the central bank in the year's leading up to the banking collapse).

I'd like to note that the office of president in Iceland is apolitical (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Iceland). He/She serves as a head of state as well as maintaining some executive powers. Iceland's next parliamentary elections are expected to take place some time in the fall.

You can follow the results and analysis on English on http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/. I'd also recommend this article: http://grapevine.is/mag/feature/2016/06/18/meet-all-the-candidates-except-one/
posted by csjc at 6:17 PM on June 25, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks so much csjc!
posted by chapps at 10:58 PM on June 25, 2016