Iceland toward a new turning point

Sunday, leftist coalition won general election in Iceland. This result is a big victory for the coalition. It’s the first time that the social-democrat party and his ally the left-green party won legislative elections. They won 34 out of the 63 seats in Parliament. Furthermore, this victory is not a short time strategy. Both parties decided since a long time to make a coalition for theses elections.

It seems to me important to remember the frame of this coalition. Since February, both parties take part of the caretaker government. Cause of the financial crisis, Iceland’s economy collapsed. So after Iceland people protested, a new government made by social democrats and left-green party took office.  It was the first time since the country’s decision to join NATO in 1949 that street protests occurred.

Iceland accused conservative party, the previous government to be responsible for the fall of the banking system. They adopted during many a liberal policy in economy. So, as soon as the crisis showed up, the third main banks in Iceland collapsed in one week in October. Iceland received $ 10 billion from the International Monetary Fund for resolving it but the currency (the “krona”) was still on trouble.

Since Iceland’s independence in 1944 from Denmark, the Independent caught its worst score. Besides, Conservative kept the Parliament for 70 years. Last May, they still were the winner of the election. So, it seems that people want to change and for many of them last events were the “coup de grace”.

One of the other issues in the election has been whether Iceland should join the European Union. The result is so a great victory for the Iceland pro European social democratic alliance. For them, becoming a membership of the EU is one of the solutions for resolving the crisis. They also want to adopt euro as currency. However, his ally the Left-Green Party doesn’t share as much this point of view. They want a referendum for asking population. The majority of seat in Parliament in favor of the Social democrats let think that they will put pressure on the left wing.

The government was led by interim Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, 66 years old. Furthermore, she is the first female prime minister in Iceland. She should go on for the next months.