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Left-Green Movement

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Left-Green Movement
Vinstrihreyfingin – grænt framboð
ChairpersonSvandís Svavarsdóttir
Vice-chairpersonGuðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson
Chairperson of the parliamentary groupOrri Páll Jóhannsson
General SecretaryBjörg Eva Erlendsdóttir
Founded6 February 1999
Split fromPeople's Alliance
Women's List
HeadquartersTúngata 14 101, Reykjavík
Youth wingYoung Left-Greens
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left[6] to left-wing[7][8]
Nordic affiliationNordic Green Left Alliance
Colours  Green   Red
Seats in Parliament
7 / 63
Election symbol
V
Website
vg.is
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The Left-Green Movement (Icelandic: Vinstrihreyfingin – grænt framboð, lit. 'Left Movement – Green Candidature'), also known by its short-form name Vinstri græn (VG), is an eco-socialist political party in Iceland.[1]

The Left-Green Movement is the third largest party in the Althing, with 7 members of 63 in total after the 2021 Icelandic parliamentary election. It is also the leading party in a three-party coalition government that has governed since the 2017 Icelandic parliamentary election. The party chairperson is Svandís Svavarsdóttir, the vice chair is Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, and the general secretary is Björg Eva Erlendsdóttir.

The Left-Green Movement is a member of the Nordic Green Left Alliance.[9]

History

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The party was founded in 1999 by members of Althing who did not approve of the merger of left-wing political parties in Iceland which resulted in the formation of the Social Democratic Alliance.

In the 1999 Icelandic parliamentary election, the Left-Green Movement took 9.1% of the vote and six seats in the Althing. The party had five members in the 63-seat Icelandic parliament after the 2003 Icelandic parliamentary election, where it polled 8.8% of the vote. After the 2007 Icelandic parliamentary election, the party had 9 seats in parliament, having received 14.3% of the vote.

After the 2009 Icelandic parliamentary election, the Left-Green Movement joined the first cabinet of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir as the minor partner to the centre-left Social Democratic Alliance after the previous coalition government of the Alliance and the centre-right Independence Party collapsed. In the 2009 Icelandic parliamentary election, it rose from nine seats to 14. With this, it became Iceland's third-largest party (close behind the Independence Party) with 21.7% of the vote; this was the second largest outcome of a left-wing party in Iceland after the post-communist People's Alliance in 1978, when it got 22.9% of the vote. The party gained one seat in addition, when a non-party parliamentarian joined the party.[10] Later, three members of the parliamentary group have left the party. One joined the Nordic agrarian Progressive Party and two others became non-partisans. After the 2013 Icelandic parliamentary election, the party was in the opposition and had seven seats in the parliament. In the 2016 Icelandic parliamentary election, the party polled 15.9% of the vote and 10 seats in the Althing, becoming the second largest party, tied with the Pirates, after the Independence Party. However, after the collapse of the coalition government and snap parliamentary elections in 2017, the party increased its seats in parliament to 11 and became the second-largest party, forming a three-party coalition with the Independence Party and Progressive Party, and party chair Katrín Jakobsdóttir became the prime minister. The party lost three seats in the 2021 parliamentary elections, but stayed in government. After the 2021 parliamentary election, the new government was, just like the previous government, a tri-party coalition of the Independence Party, the Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement, headed by Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir.[11]

Katrín stepped down as prime minister and party leader to run for President of Iceland in the 2024 election, which she lost, coming in second place after Halla Tómasdóttir.[12] She was replaced as prime minister by the Independence Party's Bjarni Benediktsson.[13] Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson became the interim party leader after Katrín. He returned to his position as vice-chairperson when Svandís Svavarsdóttir was elected as the new party leader in October of 2024.[14]

Ideology

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The Left-Green Movement focuses on democratic socialist values, feminism, and environmentalism, as well as increased democracy and direct involvement of the people in the administration of the country. The party opposes Iceland's involvement in NATO, and also the American invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. The party rejects membership of the European Union, and supports the Palestinian cause in the Middle East. It considers the mutual adaptation and integration of immigrants into Icelandic society as necessary.[15]

Electoral results

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Election Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
1999 15,115 9.1
6 / 63
 Steady 6 Steady 4th Opposition
2003 16,129 8.8
5 / 63
 Decrease 1 Steady 4th Opposition
2007 26,136 14.3
9 / 63
 Increase 4 Increase 3rd Opposition
2009 40,581 21.6
14 / 63
 Increase 5 Steady 3rd Coalition
2013 20,546 10.8
7 / 63
 Decrease 7 Decrease 4th Opposition
2016 30,166 15.9
10 / 63
 Increase 3 Increase 2nd Opposition
2017 33,155 16.9
11 / 63
 Increase 1 Steady 2nd Coalition
2021 25,114 12.6
8 / 63
 Decrease 3 Decrease 3rd Coalition

Leadership

[edit]
Nº Chairman Took office Left office
1 Steingrímur J. Sigfússon
(born 1955) 		1999 2013
2 Katrín Jakobsdóttir
(born 1976) 		2013 2024
3 Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson
(born 1977) 		April 2024 (as acting chairperson) October 2024
3 Svandís Svavarsdóttir
(born 1964) 		October 2024 present

Members of Parliament

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Since the elections in 2017, the Left-Green Movement has eleven members of parliament.

Member of Parliament Since Title Constituency
Steingrímur J. Sigfússon 1983 Northeast
Katrín Jakobsdóttir 2007 Reykjavik North
Svandís Svavarsdóttir 2009 Leader of the Parliamentary Group Reykjavik South
Lilja Rafney Magnúsdóttir 2009 Northwest
Bjarkey Gunnarsdóttir 2013 Northeast
Steinunn Þóra Árnadóttir 2014 Became a Member of Parliament when Árni Þór Sigurðsson left office mid-term Reykjavik North
Ari Trausti Guðmundsson 2016 South
Kolbeinn Óttarsson Proppé 2016 Reykjavík South
Ólafur Þór Gunnarsson 2017 Southwest

References

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  1. ^ a b c Nordsieck, Wolfram (2017). "Iceland". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  2. ^ Contemporary Far Left Parties in Europe From Marxism to the Mainstream? Luke March, 2008, P.4
  3. ^ Field, Luke (29 September 2021). "Iceland's centrist vote has resurged, but the left still has opportunities to govern and grow in a fragmented party system – RLS Brüssel". rosalux.eu. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Iceland Votes, With Its Dependence on Tourism Exposed". Bloomberg L.P. 25 September 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  5. ^ "The Reykjavík Grapevine Election Guide 2013". The Reykjavík Grapevine. 5 April 2013. Archived 14 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  6. ^ Milne, Richard (30 November 2017). "Iceland forms left-right coalition government". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  7. ^ Ćirić, Jelena (27 October 2017). "Icelandic Parliamentary Election 2017: Party Overview". Iceland Review. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  8. ^ Sigurðardóttir, Guðrún Helga (17 November 2017). "Katrín Jakobsdóttir tipped as Iceland's new Prime Minister". Nordic Labour Journal. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  9. ^ "The Left-Green Movement of Iceland". Nordic Green Left Alliance. Archived from the original on 18 February 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  10. ^ "Independent Icelandic MP joins Left Greens". IceNews. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  11. ^ "New Government of Iceland Takes Office". Iceland Monitor. 29 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Businesswoman Halla Tomasdottir set to become Iceland's next president". Al Jazeera.
  13. ^ RÚV, Fréttastofa (5 April 2024). "Katrín Jakobsdóttir býður sig fram til forseta - RÚV.is". RÚV. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  14. ^ Steindor Gretar Jonsson (6 October 2024). "Svandís Elected Left-Green Movement Leader". Iceland Review. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  15. ^ "The Left-Green Movement". Left-Green Movement homepage. Archived from the original on 2 May 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
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