Elections in Iceland: For the first time, women legislators outnumber men | News | DW

The ruling coalition in Iceland retained his majority in the elections on Saturday Even as Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir’s party suffered losses, the end results showed it.

It remains to be seen whether the tripartite coalition that has ruled the island nation for the past four years will continue. They said ahead of the election that they would enter into negotiations if they retained their majority.

With all the votes counted, Jakobsdottir’s Left-Green Movement, the center-right Agrarian Progressive Party and the Conservative Independence Party held 37 of the 63 seats in parliament.

For the first time in Icelandic and European politics, there are now more women legislators than men. Some 33 women were elected to the 63-seat parliament, Icelandic public broadcaster RUV confirmed.

Four years of stability

Jakobsdottir led the first government that completed a full term after a decade of crises.

The island nation held elections five times between 2007 and 2017 amid a spate of scandals and growing mistrust of politicians.

While the Prime Minister herself remains popular, her party is losing support.

Eight parties are expected to enter Iceland’s 1,100-year-old parliament, the Althing, giving parties many other coalition options.

Jakobsdottir’s future as prime minister uncertain

The Prime Minister’s Left-Green Movement lost three seats in parliament out of the 11 it currently holds.

“We will have to see how the government parties go together and how we go,” Jakobsdottir told the AFP news agency.

The Independence Party is expected to remain the largest party with 16 seats, keeping the same number as before.

Its leader and the country’s current finance minister, Bjarni Benediktsson, is aiming for the post of prime minister.

“These numbers are good, (it’s a) good start to the evening,” he told public broadcaster RUV.

The center-right progressives made the biggest gains and became the second party in parliament, winning 13 seats, a huge jump from its previous tally of 8.

adi / rs (AFP, dpa)