Iceland goes to the polls and prepares for sophisticated end result

Iceland goes to the polls and prepares for sophisticated end result

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The North Atlantic island of 371,000 residents has seen a interval of stability since 2017 below the ruling left-right coalition, after years of political scandals and mistrust of politicians following the 2008 monetary disaster.

The present authorities coalition led by Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir’s Left-Inexperienced Motion received its mandate on a promise to safe stability after Icelanders went to polls 5 occasions from 2007 to 2017.

In 2017, the Left-Greens, who name themselves a “radical left wing get together,” teamed up with unlikely companions — the pro-business Independence Social gathering and the center-right Progressive Social gathering — to the anger of some within the get together grassroots.

Whereas Jakobsdóttir stays standard, polls recommend her get together will lose assist, marking the top of her coalition. Help for the Independence Social gathering, Iceland’s largest get together, can also be declining, however the election end result should give former Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson a mandate to kind a brand new authorities.

A shattered political panorama will make it tough to kind a brand new authorities, however Jakobsdóttir could search a coalition with different left-wing events that opinion polls recommend will acquire assist.

“If we get such a authorities, we’re going to see some adjustments on the subject of taxation of the wealthy, and environmental questions are going to be extra essential,” mentioned Baldvin Bergsson, political analyst at broadcaster RUV.

Climate change is a vital situation for Icelanders, who wish to name their nation the “Land of Hearth and Ice” due to its other-worldly panorama of volcanoes and glaciers used within the HBO TV sequence “Sport of Thrones.”

Iceland has already pledged to attain carbon neutrality by 2040, properly forward of most different European nations, however particularly youthful voters are pushing for even bolder steps.

Left-wing events are additionally calling for extra authorities spending on healthcare, which has been an important subject within the election.

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Profitable weathering of the pandemic and the lifting of coronavirus restrictions has reopened borders, offering a wanted enhance to the very important tourism sector, which attracted some 2 million overseas guests in 2019.

“The pandemic was an enormous blow to the essential tourism trade,” mentioned Stefania Oskarsdottir, a political scientist at College of Iceland, including that top public spending has fueled optimism.

“Regardless of popping out of a deep recession, the typical Icelander feels that these are good occasions,” she mentioned.

Polls open at 04:00 EST on Saturday and shut at 17:00 EST with a closing end result anticipated on Sunday morning.

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