Kristrun Frostadottir has been appointed as Iceland’s new prime minister, marking her as the youngest in the nation’s history at 36. She leads the Social Democratic Alliance and forms a coalition with the People’s Party and the Liberal Reform Party, all of which are headed by women.
This is the first time both the prime minister and the president, 56-year-old Halla Tomasdottir, are women. Frostadottir aims to reduce inflation and interest rates, as well as cut administrative costs by reducing the number of ministries.
The new government intends to hold a referendum by 2027 on potential EU membership, with a panel of independent experts to assess the pros and cons of maintaining the Icelandic krona versus adopting the euro, as reported by Icelandic public broadcaster RUV. Early elections were held on November 30 due to the collapse of the Benediktsson government.
Former Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson requested the dissolution of the cabinet in October after only six months in power due to disagreements within the coalition on issues such as migration, energy, and housing.
Source: NOS