Businesswoman Halla Tomasdottir set to become Iceland’s next president
Al JazeeraMAY 2024
Iceland Prime Minister Calls for Early Elections in November
Above: Bjarni Benediktsson, Iceland's prime minister, arrives to speak to members of the media during the NATO Summit in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. Image copyright: Graeme Sloan/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Bjarni has caught the nation by surprise with his decision to dissolve the coalition and call for a snap election, especially as this matter wasn't discussed in recent talks with the Left-Greens. Iceland would be better served if its politicians were focused on pressing economic issues, rather than elections.
Narrative B
This move is all but surprising. There were clear signs of weakness and tension within the coalition, and that matter had been discussed when Bjanir met with party leaders. In fact, the Left-Greens were even pushing for early elections this spring. The time has come for another vote in Iceland.