Iceland Prime Minister Calls for Early Elections in November

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Above: Bjarni Benediktsson, Iceland's prime minister, arrives to speak to members of the media during the NATO Summit in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. Image copyright: Graeme Sloan/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Iceland's Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson announced the end of the three-party ruling coalition in a press conference on Sunday, calling for snap parliamentary elections to be held on Nov. 30.

  • He blamed the collapse on growing disagreements between his right-wing Independence Party and its partners, the Left-Greens and the center-right Progressive Party, over issues such as energy and immigration.

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The Spin

Narrative A

Bjarni has caught the nation by surprise with his decision to dissolve the coalition and call for a snap election, especially as this matter wasn't discussed in recent talks with the Left-Greens. Iceland would be better served if its politicians were focused on pressing economic issues, rather than elections.

Euronews

Narrative B

This move is all but surprising. There were clear signs of weakness and tension within the coalition, and that matter had been discussed when Bjanir met with party leaders. In fact, the Left-Greens were even pushing for early elections this spring. The time has come for another vote in Iceland.

Icelandreview