Icelandic parliamentary election, 2017

← 2016 28 October 2017
All 63 seats in the Althing 32 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	201,777 (81.2% 2.0%)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Bjarni Benediktsson Katrín Jakobsdóttir Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson Party Independence Left-Green Progressive Leader since 29 March 2009 24 February 2013 2 October 2016 Last election 21 seats, 29.0% 10 seats, 15.9% 8 seats, 11.5% Seats won 16 / 63 11 / 63 8 / 63 Seat change 5 1 Popular vote 49,543 33,155 21,016 Percentage 25.2% 16.9% 10.7% Swing 3.8% 1.0% 0.8%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Logi Már Einarsson Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson Collective leadership[n 1] Party Social Democratic Centre Pirates Leader since 31 October 2016 24 September 2017 N/A Last election 7 seats, 5.7% New party 10 seats, 14.5% Seats won 7 / 63 7 / 63 6 / 63 Seat change 4 7 4 Popular vote 23,652 21,335 18,051 Percentage 12.1% 10.9% 9.2% Swing 6.4% 10.9% 5.3%   Seventh party Eighth party   Leader Inga Sæland Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir Party People's Reform Leader since 2016 12 October 2017 Last election 0 seats, 3.5% 7 seats, 10.5% Seats won 4 / 63 4 / 63 Seat change 4 3 Popular vote 13,502 13,122 Percentage 6.9% 6.7% Swing 3.4% 3.8%
Iceland election districts
Prime Minister before election Bjarni Benediktsson Independence Prime Minister-designate TBD

Politics of Iceland
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Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 28 October 2017. On 15 September 2017, the three-party coalition government collapsed after the departure of Bright Future over a scandal involving Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson's father writing a letter recommending a convicted paedophile have his "honour restored".^[1] Bjarni subsequently called for a snap election,^[2] which was officially scheduled for 28 October 2017 following the dissolution of the Althing.

Though many opinion polls in the run-up to the election indicated an increase in support for the Left-Green Movement, the Independence Party retained its position as the Althing's largest party.^[3]

Background

A three-party coalition of the Independence Party, Reform Party and Bright Future had been put together after the 2016 election, which held a narrow majority of 1 seat in Parliament. The cabinet formed was led by Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, head of the Independence Party.

The Icelandic legal system has a mechanism whereby a convicted individual can have their "honour restored", that is have certain civil rights restored, from five years after serving their sentence^[4] if three letters of recommendation from persons of good character who know the individual are provided. Hjalti Sigurjón Hauksson was convicted in 2004 for multiple rapes of his stepdaughter from age five for twelve years. He served a jail term of five and a half years. Bjarni's father, Benedikt Sveinsson, was a friend of Hjalti Sigurjón's. Benedikt signed a letter of recommendation, which he said Hjalti Sigurjón brought to him already drafted. Bjarni was informed on this in July 2017 by the justice minister, Sigridur Andersen, also of the Independence Party, but Benedikt's support was not revealed by the government at first.^[5] Sigridur refused to say in public who had signed the letter at first, but was ordered to do so by a Parliamentary committee. Bjarni said it would have been illegal for him to reveal the information earlier.^[6]

Benedikt's involvement emerged in September. Bright Future left the coalition, accusing the Independence Party of a "serious breach of trust". Benedikt apologised for signing the letter. Sigridur said she is preparing a bill to reform the restored honour system.^[5]

Bjarni acknowledged the need for new elections, although the decision is made by the President, Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson. Other parties supported new elections,^[6] although Birgitta Jónsdóttir, parliamentary chair of the Pirates, initially suggested a 5-party coalition government of the Pirate Party, the Reform Party, the Left-Greens, the Social Democrats and Bright Future should be explored. There had been unsuccessful discussions for such a coalition after the last election.^[7]

According to poll conducted by Morgunblaðið, 57% of Icelanders believe calling the snap election was right.^[8]

Candidates & campaign

The Pirate Party reject a traditional model of party leadership, but Birgitta Jónsdóttir co-founded the party and is often described as the party's informal leader.^[9] She announced that she would not be standing in the election.^[10] After Birgitta announced that she was not standing, Helgi Hrafn Gunnarsson announced that he would now be running to be an MP,^[11] having earlier quit due to what he described as bullying by Birgitta.^[12]

Former Progressive Party Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson announced in an open letter that he planned to create a party before the elections. The new Centre Party was founded 24 September.^[13]

Electoral system

The 63 members of the Althing are elected using closed list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies of 8 to 13 seats.^[14] Of the 63 seats, 54 are elected using constituency results and determined using the d'Hondt method. The remaining nine supplementary seats are awarded to parties that crossed the 5% national electoral threshold in order to give them a total number of seats equivalent to their national share of the vote.^[14]

Participating parties

Parties with a list for all constituencies^[15]

• Bright Future (centre), list letter A
• Centre Party (centre/centre-right), list letter M
• Progressive Party (centre-right), list letter B
• Reform (centre/centre-right), list letter C
• Independence Party (centre-right/right-wing), list letter D
• Social Democratic Alliance (centre-left), list letter S
• Left-Green Movement (left-wing), list letter V
• People's Party (populist), list letter F
• Pirate Party (syncretic), list letter P

Parties with a list for only some constituencies

• People's Front of Iceland (far-left), list letter R
• Dawn, list letter T

The Icelandic National Front (right-wing/far-right) was going to take part in the election with list letter E, but has since withdrawn all its lists.^[16]

Opinion polls

If a sample size was not provided for the poll, only the given (Gallup) or end (MMR) date was provided by the polling firm.

Results

Though many polls in the run-up to the election indicated a surge of support for the Left-Green Movement, the Independence Party retained its position as the Althing's largest party.

However, the Independence Party's parliamentary representation decreased by five seats to 16 and it lost its governing majority. The Left-Green Movement retained its position as the Althing's second largest party, increasing its representation by one seat to 11. The Social Democratic Alliance saw a large increase in support, doubling its vote share from 2016, and will enter the new parliament with seven members. The Progressive Party held steady at eight seats while the newly-formed Centre Party, founded by former Progessive Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, won seven seats. The Pirate Party, which entered the election as the Althing's third largest party, lost four seats and was reduced to six seats. Entering the Althing for the first time, the People's Party obtained four seats. The Reform Party, one of the members of the outgoing government, lost three seats and was left with four seats. In line with all pre-election polling, Bright Future did not meet the 5% threshold and was therefore not returned to the Althing.

Government formation

As a result of the vote, the Independence Party and its former coalition partners (Reform Party and Bright Future) lost a combined 12 seats, therefore denying the sitting government a continued majority. As a result, it is envisaged that a new government will be formed.

Footnotes

References