Politics of Iceland takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Iceland is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament, the Althing. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The President of Iceland (Icelandic: forseti Íslands) is Icelands elected head of state. ... Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson ( ) (born 14 May 1943, in Ísafjörður, Iceland) is the fifth and current President of Iceland, from 1996 to present, re-elected unopposed in 2000, and was re-elected for a third term in 2004. ... The Althing (Modern Icelandic Alþingi; Old Norse Alþing) is the national parliament: literally, the all-thing (or General Assembly) of Iceland. ... The Prime Minister of Iceland (Icelandic: Forsætisráðherra Íslands) is Icelands head of government. ... Geir Hilmar Haarde (born April 8, 1951) is an Icelandic politician. ... The Cabinet of Iceland is the chief executive body of the Republic of Iceland. ... The Supreme Court of Iceland (Hæstiréttur Íslands) holds the highest judicial power in Iceland. ... Umboðsmaður Alþingis is appointed by the Alþingi to oversee investigation of complaints against government departments and local governments. ... Political parties in Iceland lists political parties in Iceland. ... Politics of Iceland Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Iceland ... A presidential election was held in Iceland on Saturday, 26 June 2004. ... The 2007 Icelandic general elections were held on 12 May 2007. ... The regions of Iceland. ... Iceland is divided into 8 landsvæði (regions): The landsvæði are further divided into 23 counties, sýslur: Árnessýsla Austur-Barðastrandarsýsla Austur-Húnavatnssýsla Austur-Skaftafellssýsla Borgarfjarðarsýsla Dalasýsla Eyjafjarðarsýsla Gullbringusýsla, Kjósarsýsla Mýrasýsla Norður... The municipalities of Iceland are local administrative areas that provide a number of services to their inhabitants such as kindergartens, elementary schools, waste management, social services, public housing, public transportation, services to senior citizens and handicapped people etc. ... Iceland maintains diplomatic and commercial relations with practically all nations, but its ties with other Nordic states, with the US, and with the other NATO nations are particularly close. ... Iceland is not a member state of the European Union (EU) and has never applied for membership. ... The Cod Wars (also called the Iceland Cod Wars) were a series of confrontations between the United Kingdom and Iceland over Icelands claims of authority over tracts of ocean off their coastline as being their exclusive fishery zone. ... The Agreed Minute is a statute governing the nature of the U.S. military presence in Iceland. ... Iceland has a very small network of diplomatic missions. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in red and orange—the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, the the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ... Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Prime Minister of Iceland (Icelandic: Forsætisráðherra Íslands) is Icelands head of government. ... The head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... In political science and constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the state. ... A legislature is a governmental deliberative body with the power to adopt laws. ... The Alþing, commonly Anglicized as Althing (Modern Icelandic Alþingi; Old Norse Alþing) is the national parliament: literally, the all-thing of Iceland. ... In the law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ...

Political developments

In losing four seats in the April 1995 parliamentary elections, the IP and SDP mustered a simple majority in the 63-seat Althing. However, Prime Minister and IP leader Davíð Oddsson chose the resurgent Progressive Party as a more conservative partner to form a stronger and more stable majority with 40 seats. Splintered by factionalism over the economy and Iceland's role in the European Union (EU), the SDP also suffered from being the only party to support Iceland's EU membership application. Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

Executive branch

The president, elected to a 4-year term, has limited powers. The prime minister and cabinet exercise most executive functions. The president of Iceland is a largely ceremonial office that serves as a diplomat, figurehead and head of state. The head of government is the prime minister, who, together with the cabinet, takes care of the executive part of government. The cabinet is appointed by the president after general elections to Althing; however, this process is usually conducted by the leaders of the political parties, who decide among themselves after discussions which parties can form the cabinet and how its seats are to be distributed (under the condition that it has a majority support in Althing). Only when the party leaders are unable to reach a conclusion by themselves in reasonable time does the president exercise this power and appoint the cabinet himself. This has never happened since the republic was founded in 1944, but in 1942 the regent of the country (Sveinn Björnsson, who had been installed in that position by the Althing in 1941) did appoint a non-parliamentary government. The regent had, for all practical purposes, the position of a president, and Björnsson in fact became the country's first president in 1944. The governments of Iceland have almost always been coalitions with two or more parties involved, due to the fact that no single political party has received a majority of seats in Althing in the republic period. The extent of the political powers possessed by the office of the president are disputed by legal scholars in Iceland; several provisions of the constitution appear to give the president some important powers but other provisions and traditions suggest differently. The president is elected every four years (last 2004), the cabinet is elected every four years (last 2007) and town council elections are held every four years (last 2006). List of Presidents of Iceland Sveinn Björnsson (1944-1952) Ásgeir Ásgeirsson (1952-1968) Kristján Eldjárn (1968-1980) Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (1980-1996) Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (1996-present) See also: Politics of Iceland, list of Prime Ministers of Iceland, list of Icelandic rulers, lists of incumbents... Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson ( ) (born 14 May 1943, in Ísafjörður, Iceland) is the fifth and current President of Iceland, from 1996 to present, re-elected unopposed in 2000, and was re-elected for a third term in 2004. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... List of Prime Ministers of Iceland (the Minister of Iceland 1904-1917) Note about the coloring: Every combination which appears at least twice has been assigned a color. ... Geir Hilmar Haarde (born April 8, 1951) is an Icelandic politician. ... The Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) is a center-right political party in Iceland. ... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The President of Iceland (Icelandic: forseti Íslands) is Icelands elected head of state. ... This page is about negotiations; for the board game, see Diplomacy (game). ... For the comedy film of the same name, see Head of State (film). ... The head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... Sveinn Björnsson (IPA: ) (27 February 1881 – 25 January 1952), son of Björn Jónsson (editor and later minister) and Elísabet Sveinsdóttir, was the first president of the Republic of Iceland. ...

Legislative branch

The modern parliament, called "Althing" or "Alþingi", was founded in 1845 as an advisory body to the Danish king. It was widely seen as a reestablishment of the assembly founded in 930 in the Commonwealth period and suspended in 1799. The Althing is composed of 63 members, elected every 4 years unless it is dissolved sooner. Suffrage for presidential and parliamentary elections is 18 years of age and is universal. Members of the Althing are elected on the basis of proportional representation from six constituencies. Until 1991, membership of the Althing was divided between a lower and upper house but this was changed to a fully unicameral system. The Alþing, commonly Anglicized as Althing (Modern Icelandic Alþingi; Old Norse Alþing) is the national parliament: literally, the all-thing of Iceland. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation). ... Events With the establishment of the Icelandic Althing, now the worlds oldest parliament, the Icelandic Commonwealth is founded. ... The Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State (Icelandic: Þjóðveldisöld) was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in 930 and the pledge of fealty to the Norwegian king in 1262. ... 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ...

Political parties and elections

After four 4-year terms as the world's first elected woman president, the widely popular Vigdís Finnbogadóttir chose not to run for re-election in 1996. More than 86% of voters turned out in the June 29, 1996 presidential elections to give former leftist party chairman Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson a 41% plurality and relatively comfortable 12% victory margin over the closest of three other candidates. Traditionally limited to 6-12 weeks, Iceland's campaign season was marked by several intensely personal attacks on Grímsson, a former finance minister who tried to erase memories of his controversial support of inflationary policies and opposition to the U.S. military presence at the NATO base in Keflavík. Grímsson successfully has used his largely ceremonial office to promote Icelandic trade abroad and family values at home. A political party is a political organization subscribing to a certain ideology or formed around very special issues. ... Political parties in Iceland lists political parties in Iceland. ... An election is a decision making process whereby people vote for preferred political candidates or parties to act as representatives in government. ... Politics of Iceland Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Iceland ... Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (born 15 April 1930) was the 4th president of Iceland from 1980 to 1996. ... is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson ( ) (born 14 May 1943, in Ísafjörður, Iceland) is the fifth and current President of Iceland, from 1996 to present, re-elected unopposed in 2000, and was re-elected for a third term in 2004. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... This article is about the military alliance. ... Keflavík on the Reykjanes peninsula of Iceland Keflavík is a town of around 10,200 inhabitants in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland (64°01′N 22°34′W). ...

The next presidential elections are scheduled in May or June 2008.

The last parliamentary elections took place on May 12, 2007. The ruling coalition parties, the Independence Party and the Progressive Party lost four seats in Alþingi but nevertheless still hold a slim majority hold 32 seats, a 1 seat majority in the 63 seat Alþingi. But Independence Party and Progressive Party have split up after 12 years together. Independance Party formed a new coalition with Social Democratic Alliance under Haarde, a coalition holding 43 seats, a 20 seat majority in the 63 Seat Alþingi. A total of 185.392 votes were cast constituting 83.6% of 221.368 the electorate. The results of the 2007 election were as follows (changes in seat distribution indicated in brackets): is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson ( ) (born 14 May 1943, in Ísafjörður, Iceland) is the fifth and current President of Iceland, from 1996 to present, re-elected unopposed in 2000, and was re-elected for a third term in 2004. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The Althing (Modern Icelandic Alþingi; Old Norse Alþing) is the national parliament: literally, the all-thing (or General Assembly) of Iceland. ... The Althing (Modern Icelandic Alþingi; Old Norse Alþing) is the national parliament: literally, the all-thing (or General Assembly) of Iceland. ...

The next parliamentary elections are scheduled in May 2011. is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The Alþing, commonly Anglicized as Althing (Modern Icelandic Alþingi; Old Norse Alþing) is the national parliament: literally, the all-thing of Iceland. ... The Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) is a center-right political party in Iceland. ... The Alliance (Samfylkingin) is a political party in Iceland. ... The Left-Green Movement (Vinstrihreyfingin - grænt framboð) is a political party in Iceland. ... The Progressive Party (Icelandic: Framsóknarflokkurinn) is an agrarian and liberal party in Iceland. ... The Liberal Party (Frjálslyndi flokkurinn) is a liberal party in Iceland. ... Icelands Movement – Living Land (Icelandic: ) is a green political party in Iceland founded by the reporter and environmentalist Ómar Ragnarsson and Margrét Sverrisdóttir on 23 March 2007[1] to contest the 2007 parliamentary election. ...

Judicial branch

The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court or Hæstiréttur, justices are appointed for life by the president, and district courts. The constitution protects the judiciary from infringement by the other two branches.

Administrative divisions

Iceland is divided in 23 counties (sýslur, singular sýsla) and 14 independent towns* (kaupstaðir, singular kaupstaður); Akranes*, Akureyri*, Árnessýsla, Austur-Barðastrandarsýsla, Austur-Húnavatnssýsla, Austur-Skaftafellssýsla, Borgarfjarðarsýsla, Dalasýsla, Eyjafjarðarsýsla, Gullbringusýsla, Hafnarfjörður*, Húsavík*, Ísafjörður*, Keflavík*, Kjósarsýsla, Kópavogur*, Mýrasýsla, Neskaupstaður*, Norður-Ísafjarðarsýsla, Norður-Múlasýsla, Norður-Þingeyjarsýsla, Ólafsfjörður*, Rangárvallasýsla, Reykjavík*, Sauðárkrókur*, Seyðisfjörður*, Siglufjörður*, Skagafjarðarsýsla, Snæfellsnes- og Hnappadalssýsla, Strandasýsla, Suður-Múlasýsla, Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla, Vestmannaeyjar*, Vestur-Barðastrandarsýsla, Vestur-Húnavatnssýsla, Vestur-Ísafjarðarsýsla, Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla City nickname: Skaginn Location of west seaport Akranes (left/center) County Akraneskaupstaður Constituency Northwest Area 8. ... Nickname: Location of Akureyri in Iceland Coordinates: , Constituency Northeast Area  - City 125 km²  (48. ... Árnessýsla is a county of Iceland. ... Barðastrandarsýsla is a county in northwestern Iceland in the Vestfirðir region. ... Eyjafjörður is the longest fjord in central northern Iceland. ... Location of Hafnarfjörður, Iceland (left/center) Coordinates: Constituency Southwest Area  - City 147 km²  (56. ... Disambiguation, see also Húsavík, Faroe Islands Location in Iceland County Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla Constituency Northeast Area 270 km² ( 104. ... Location of Ísafjörður in Iceland (upper left) Constituency Northwest Area 270 km² ( 104. ... Keflavík on the Reykjanes peninsula of Iceland Keflavík is a town of around 10,200 inhabitants in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland (64°01′N 22°34′W). ... Location in Iceland Coordinates: Constituency Southwest Area    - City 83. ... Neskaupstaður is a town located the fjord Norðfjörður on the eastern shore of Iceland. ... Counties of Iceland Norður-Þingeyjarsýsla is a county in northeastern Iceland. ... Ólafsfjörður is a town in Iceland. ... Location in Iceland Coordinates: , Constituency Government  - Mayor (Borgarstjóri) Dagur B. Eggertsson Area  - City 274. ... Sauðárkrókur is a town in northern Iceland, with a population of about 3,000 people. ... Seyðisfjörður, Iceland Location in Iceland County Seyðisfjarðarkaupstaður Constituency Northeast Population Total (2005) 802 Postal codes 710 Latitude Longitude Municipal website Seyðisfjörður is a small village in the Eastfjords of Iceland at the end of the fjord of the same name. ... City nickname: Síldarbærinn (Herring Town), Sigló Location in Iceland County Eyjafjarðarsýsla Constituency Northeast Area 155 km² ( 59. ... Suður-Múlasýsla is a county in eastern Iceland. ... Location of Vestmannaeyjar in Iceland (lower left) County Vestmannaeyjar Constituency South Area 13 km² ( 8,1mi²) Population Total (2003) Density 4349 334/km² Postal codes IS-900 Latitude Longitude Municipal website Cliffs on Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar Off the southwest coast of Iceland Vestmannaeyjar (English: The Westman Islands) is a small archipelago... Vestur-Barðastrandarsýsla is a county in northwestern Iceland. ... Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla is a county in southern Iceland. ...

International organization participation

Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIK, UNU, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO Current logo Map of current Arctic Council national members in light blue. ... Australia Group is an informal group of countries established in 1985 (after the use of chemical weapons by Iraq in 1984) to help reduce the spread of chemical and biological weapons by monitoring and controlling the spread of technologies required to produce them. ... BIS Headquarters in Basel The Bank for International Settlements (or BIS) is an international organization of central banks which exists to foster cooperation among central banks and other agencies in pursuit of monetary and financial stability. It carries out its work through subcommittees, the secretariats it hosts, and through its... The Baltic Sea The Council of the Baltic Sea States (abbrevated CBSS) is an intergovernmental organization formed to handle (mainly environmental) issues concerning the Baltic Sea region. ... Anthem Ode to Joy (orchestral)  ten founding members joined subsequently observer at the Parliamentary Assembly observer at the Committee of Ministers  official candidate Seat Strasbourg, France Membership 47 European states 5 observers (Council) 3 observers (Assembly) Leaders  -  Secretary General Terry Davis  -  President of the Parliamentary Assembly Rene van der Linden... The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) is a NATO organization, a multilateral forum created to improve relations between NATO and non-NATO countries in Europe and those parts of Asia on the European periphery. ... Founded in 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 27 countries from central Europe to central Asia. ... The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE or ECE) was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. ... The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was established on May 3, 1960 as an alternative for European states that were not allowed or did not wish to join the European Community (now the European Union). ... FAO redirects here. ... The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for military purposes. ... Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of the five institutions consisting the World Bank Group. ... The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. ... The official logo of the ICC The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt)[1] was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, although it cannot currently exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. ... The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is an international organization that works to promote and support global trade and globalization. ... Red Cross redirects here. ... The International Development Association (IDA) created on September 24, 1960, is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. ... IEA Logo Map of members The International Energy Agency (IEA, or AIE in Romance languages) is a Paris-based intergovernmental organization founded by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1974 in the wake of the oil crisis. ... The International Finance Corporation (IFC) promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries as a way to reduce poverty and improve peoples lives. ... Red Cross redirects here. ... The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental international organization established in 1921. ... The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues. ... IMF redirects here. ... Headquarters of the International Maritime Organisation in Lambeth, adjacent to the east end of Lambeth Bridge Headquarters building taken from the west side of the Thames Headquartered in London, U.K., the International Maritime Organization (IMO) promotes cooperation among governments and the shipping industry to improve maritime safety and to... Inmarsat plc is an international telecommunications company founded in 1979, originally as an intergovernmental organization. ... Intelsat, Ltd. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative meanings at IOC (disambiguation) The International Olympic Committee is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organize this sports event every four years. ... “ISO” redirects here. ... The International Telecommunication Union (ITU; French: Union internationale des télécommunications, Spanish: Unión Internacional de Telecomunicaciones) is an international organization established to standardize and regulate international radio and telecommunications. ... The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is the worlds largest trade union federation. ... This article is about the military alliance. ... Political map of the Nordic countries and associated islands. ... Map of members The Nuclear Energy Agency is an intergovernmental multinational agency that is organized under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. ... The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) is an investment bank and multilateral development bank owned by eight nordic and northern european countries. ... The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), (in French: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques; OCDE) is an international organisation of thirty countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is not an agency of the United Nations. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), also known as the Hague Tribunal is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands. ... UN and U.N. redirect here. ... The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body, UNCTAD is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment and development issues. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo or UNMIK is an interim civilian administration in Kosovo, under the authority of the United Nations. ... United Nations University (UNU) is a university established on December 6, 1973 by adoption of resolution 3081 by the United Nations General Assembly, upon the suggestion of U Thant, UN Secretary-General at the time. ... The Universal Postal Union (UPU, French: Union postale universelle) is an international organization that coordinates postal policies between member nations, and hence the world-wide postal system. ... The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization that helps Members (currently Customs administrations from 169 countries) communicate and co-operate on customs issues. ...  â€¢  â€¢  â€¢ Membership 10 member states 6 associate member states 5 observer countries 7 associate partner countries Establishment Treaty of Brussels  -  Signed 17 March 1948  The Western European Union (WEU) is a partially dormant European defence and security organization, established on the basis of the Treaty of Brussels of 1948 with the... WHO redirects here. ... The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (French: Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle or OMPI) is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations. ... WMO flag The World Meteorological Organization (WMO, French: , OMM) is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 188 Member States and Territories. ... WTO redirects here. ...