2014 Icelandic municipal elections explained

Election Name:2014 Icelandic municipal elections
Country:Iceland
Previous Election:2010 Icelandic municipal elections
Previous Year:2010
Next Election:2018 Icelandic municipal elections
Next Year:2018
Election Date:31 May 2014

Municipal elections took place in Iceland on 31 May 2014. 66% of eligible voters cast votes, the lowest proportion since Iceland gained independence.[1]

As part of a pledge, Mayor Jón Gnarr's Best Party did not participate in the election and was dissolved after the election was held.[2]

Results

Overall

Results in Reykjavík

In total, 56,896 votes were cast. Of these, 2,024 were blank and 227 were invalid.

On 11 June 2014, a coalition was announced of the Social Democrats, Bright Future, the Left-Greens, and the Pirate Party. Dagur B. Eggertsson, of the Social Democrats, became the new mayor, while the Left-Green councillor Sóley Tómasdóttir became president of the city council and Sigurður Björn Blöndal of Bright Future became the city council chairperson.[3] The coalition did not invite Progressive Party councillors onto the city’s councils and committees, with Sóley Tómasdóttir saying that the party was not “suitable” for the jobs; this has been taken partly to relate to the councillors' opposition to the Reykjavík Mosque.[4]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Kári Tulinius, 'So What's this City Election I Keep Hearing About?', The Reykjavík Grapevine (2014, issue 7), 8.
  2. Web site: After four years, Iceland's notorious Reykjavik comic mayor leaves politics . 2014-07-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140728015802/http://metronews.ca/news/world/1074727/after-four-years-icelands-notorious-reykjavik-comic-mayor-leaves-politics/ . 2014-07-28 . dead .
  3. Paul Fontaine, 'Meet Reykjavík’s New Ruling Coalition', The Reykjavík Grapevine, June 12, 2014, http://grapevine.is/news/2014/06/12/meet-reykjaviks-new-ruling-coalition/.
  4. Paul Fontaine, 'Progressives Shut Out Of City Committees', The Reykjavík Grapevine, June 16, 2014, http://grapevine.is/news/2014/06/16/progressives-shut-out-of-city-committees/.