Ballots and Black Licorice(An Icelandic Thread)

[Shrillland]

Yes, I'm here with another one, this time it's for Iceland, going to the polls on Saturday, September 25. It's one of the more quiet parts of Europe when all their banks don't simultaneously collapse, though we do have a couple of Icelandic folks here at NSG so there you go. It's also one of only two European nations where the Pirate Party has a strong and growing following(the other is the Czech Republic, which will appear here on NSG later in the week). Polls currently show Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir's government at about the same levels as in 2017, though her own Left-Green Movement is down slightly. The biggest gains so far belong to the Icelandic Pirates and the newly-formed Icelandic Socialist Party, though the stalwart Independence Party remains at the top as they usually do.

Here's how it'll go down. The Alþingi(or Althing in Angliscised spelling), the World's oldest standing Parliamentary body at 1,091 years old, has 63 seats in six multi-member constituencies. 54 seats are decided via Semi-closed-list(because voters can give preferences to individual candidates) D'Hondt PR with no threshold, and the remaining 9 are leveling seats with a 5% national threshold used to even things out. Now to meet the parties:

Independence Party(D) led by former PM Bjarni Benediktsson: Centre-right to Right, Liberal Conservative, Eurosceptic, Economic Liberal

Left-Green Movement(V) led by current PM Katrin Jakobsdottir: Centre-left to Left, Democratic Socialist, Eco-Socialist, Pacifist, Eurosceptic, Feminist

Pirate Party(P), no leader as such(rotating chair in Althing decided by coin toss): Pirate Policy, Direct Democracy, Transparency, Euroneutral

Social Democratic Alliance(S) led by Logi Már Einarsson: Centre-left, Pro-Europe, Social Democratic

Progressive Party(B) led by former PM Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson" Centre to Centre-right, Agrarian, Populist, Liberal, Eurosceptic

Reform Party(C) led by Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir: Centre-right, Economic Liberal, Pro-Europe, Green Liberal

Centre Party(M) led by Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson: Centre-right, Centrist, Populist, Euro-Sceptic, Nordic Agrarian

Icelandic Socialist Party(J) led byGunnar Smári Egilsson: Left Wing, Socialist

People's Party(F) led by Inga Sæland: Socially Right Wing, Centre-left in Regard to Welfare, Disability Rights, Elder Advocacy, Right Populist, Anti-Immigrant

So, who do you want, NSG? For me, I say let's keep V in charge, though I wouldn't say no to S either.

[Ayytaly]

Where's the Celtic party?

[Major-Tom]

Seems like Iceland has some strange political bedfellows in charge, but I've no idea whether or not they're doing a good job.

[Shrillland]

Seems like Iceland has some strange political bedfellows in charge, but I've no idea whether or not they're doing a good job.

As I said, Iceland's pretty quiet, I wouldn't have done them but we do have a couple of Icelandic NSGers.

[Shrillland]

Where's the Celtic party?

I've seen neither hide nor hair of such a party myself.

[Ayytaly]

Where's the Celtic party?

I've seen neither hide nor hair of such a party myself.

Damn Nords, never acknowledging the Celtic roots of Iceland.

[Nationalist Northumbria]

Do any of them say they'll do something about the rampant STD rate?

[The Islands of Versilia]

The only acceptable option here is the Independence Party.

Damn Nords, never acknowledging the Celtic roots of Iceland.

Just because a few Irish monks and/or slaves lived on Iceland once upon a time doesn’t mean Iceland as a nation has any Celtic roots.

[Dowaesk]

Looking at the Wikipedia pages. Left-Green Movement seems quite favourable.

[Ayytaly]

The only acceptable option here is the Independence Party.

Damn Nords, never acknowledging the Celtic roots of Iceland.

Just because a few Irish monks and/or slaves lived on Iceland once upon a time doesn’t mean Iceland as a nation has any Celtic roots.

Wow... that's racist

[Arisyan]

This'll be an interesting election to watch, as the Left-Green Movement has lost a few points in polls and the pirate party and SDA are neck and neck for 3rd. It would be nice for the Independence Party not to be in government again however.

[The Islands of Versilia]

The only acceptable option here is the Independence Party.



Just because a few Irish monks and/or slaves lived on Iceland once upon a time doesn’t mean Iceland as a nation has any Celtic roots.

Wow... that's racist

Suddenly it’s racist to acknowledge the truth that there’s no modern or relevant connection to the Irish monks and slaves that once lived on Iceland? And in no meaningful numbers? Lmao, sure

[Lanoraie II]

Wow... that's racist

Suddenly it’s racist to acknowledge the truth that there’s no modern or relevant connection to the Irish monks and slaves that once lived on Iceland? And in no meaningful numbers? Lmao, sure

Nobody tell him that the average Icelandic female has up to 40% Irish DNA.

[The Alma Mater]

So... does the Icelandic pirate party also have a latex fetish model als leader, like the Dutch one did ?
(sadly, she stepped down)

[Shrillland]

So... does the Icelandic pirate party also have a latex fetish model als leader, like the Dutch one did ?
(sadly, she stepped down)

Well, I'm looking at the profiles available on the party website, nothing like that seems to appear.

[The Alma Mater]

So... does the Icelandic pirate party also have a latex fetish model als leader, like the Dutch one did ?
(sadly, she stepped down)

Well, I'm looking at the profiles available on the party website, nothing like that seems to appear.

Sad So people will have to vote on actual party ideas instead of looks...
To continue the "too lazy to look it up" question: what is the pirate party's position on vaccine passports and the related privacy aspects ?

[Shrillland]

Well, I'm looking at the profiles available on the party website, nothing like that seems to appear.

Sad So people will have to vote on actual party ideas instead of looks...
To continue the "too lazy to look it up" question: what is the pirate party's position on vaccine passports and the related privacy aspects ?

Well, Here's their 2021 manifesto in full, it barely mentions COVID-related problems at all, doesn't mention vaccine passports at all, and their stance on privacy in regards to data is thus:

Rights protection on the Internet The Internet should be a single market area and we need to ensure consumer protection accordingly. We want privacy to be respected and to promote effective privacy for online users. Prevent general monitoring of individuals and / or groups online. Protect privacy by abolishing the obligation of Icelandic companies to store personal data. We owe it to the government to take good care of individuals' data, especially in the case of sensitive personal information. We support the unconditional right of the public to protect their data and communications over the Internet, including through encryption.

So your guess is as good as mine.

[The Islands of Versilia]

Suddenly it’s racist to acknowledge the truth that there’s no modern or relevant connection to the Irish monks and slaves that once lived on Iceland? And in no meaningful numbers? Lmao, sure

Nobody tell him that the average Icelandic female has up to 40% Irish DNA.

I was not aware of this, but I still don’t see those long dead Irishmen as having any relevance to modern Iceland or Icelanders.

[Dowaesk]

Well, I'm looking at the profiles available on the party website, nothing like that seems to appear.

Sad So people will have to vote on actual party ideas instead of looks...
To continue the "too lazy to look it up" question: what is the pirate party's position on vaccine passports and the related privacy aspects ?

So did you vote for whoever you voted for because he/she looked good?

[Shrillland]

The first Leaders' Debate was yesterday, the economy was the main issue

[Shrillland]

The lists are finished, 10 parties in most constituencies and 11 in Reykjavik North

Around 10,000 voters have already voted

In the wake of a loud clamour to ban slot machines, the Assoication of Gambling Enthusiasts is asking for the parties' takes on gambling, which is run by the Icelandic Red Cross and the University of Iceland

[Shrillland]

We're less than a week away, so here's my take on it.

The Left-Greens and the Independence party have dropped in the polls as the Pirates and the new Socialists have become major players. The Socialists, which didn't really exist at the last vote, are now polling around 7%. The Pirates are also up at about 12% whilst the more conservative Progressives are now topping the Left-Greens. Iceland being so quiet and more prepared to reach consensus, is a little more difficult to project, but my horseback opinion is that it might be Left-Green-Pirate-Socialist-Reform.

[Outer Sparta]

We're less than a week away, so here's my take on it.

The Left-Greens and the Independence party have dropped in the polls as the Pirates and the new Socialists have become major players. The Socialists, which didn't really exist at the last vote, are now polling around 7%. The Pirates are also up at about 12% whilst the more conservative Progressives are now topping the Left-Greens. Iceland being so quiet and more prepared to reach consensus, is a little more difficult to project, but my horseback opinion is that it might be Left-Green-Pirate-Socialist-Reform.

Do you know how the split of pro-EU/anti-EU parties are currently at?

[Shrillland]

We're less than a week away, so here's my take on it.

The Left-Greens and the Independence party have dropped in the polls as the Pirates and the new Socialists have become major players. The Socialists, which didn't really exist at the last vote, are now polling around 7%. The Pirates are also up at about 12% whilst the more conservative Progressives are now topping the Left-Greens. Iceland being so quiet and more prepared to reach consensus, is a little more difficult to project, but my horseback opinion is that it might be Left-Green-Pirate-Socialist-Reform.

Do you know how the split of pro-EU/anti-EU parties are currently at?

Well, Reform and the Social Democratic Alliance are the only two explicitly pro-EU parties, and their combined total's at 22%, the Pirates are neutral, but all the rest are firmly opposed. They like EFTA as it is.

[Outer Sparta]

Do you know how the split of pro-EU/anti-EU parties are currently at?

Well, Reform and the Social Democratic Alliance are the only two explicitly pro-EU parties, and their combined total's at 22%, the Pirates are neutral, but all the rest are firmly opposed. They like EFTA as it is.

Left-Green and Independence both oppose EU integration, which interestingly they are currently in coalition with one another (the upcoming election could change things).