The chairman of the conservative Independence party and the Left-green movement will meet to discuss possible areas of agreement between the two parties and the possibility of the two parties joining in a coalition government which could bridge the two polar extremes of Icelandic politics, the local news site visir.is reports. Such a coalition government would have to include at least one more political party.
Read more: Centrist parties resume talks with conservatives on formation of three party coalition
Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the chairwoman of the Left-green movement told the local news site visir.is that the the two parties were merely engaging in informal talks at this stage. Formal negotiations between the two parties are not yet on the agenda. Katrín has previously stated that the two parties are furthest apart of any of the political parties in the Icelandic parliament. A statement from the Left-green movement similarly stresses that while the President of Iceland has been informed of the talks, they are strictly informal.
According to the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV it was Bjarni who reached out to Katrín. An across-the-aisle coalition encompassing the Independence party and the Left-greens has been very popular among many conservatives, but the idea remains deeply popular among those on the left. The social media feed of members of the Left-green movement and Icelandic leftists has been on fire since the news broke.
The reason the conservatives are interested in working with the Left-greens is that a center-right coalition with the two centrist parties would only have a one seat majority in parliament. The local newspaper DV reports that many within the Independence party are also deeply suspicious of the centrist Restoration. Adding the Left-green movement to the coalition is virtually the only chance the Independence party has to form a coalition government.
Read more: Analysis: No coalition in sight after Left-greens give up on forming a center-left government
The President of Iceland had handed Katrín the mandate to form a coalition government after Bjarni Benediktsson, the chairman of the conservative Independence party had returned his mandate on November 15 having failed to convince the two centrist parties Restoration and Bright future to join a center-right coalition. Katrín in turn returned the mandate on November 25 after negotiations on the formation of a five party center-left coalition broke down. After Katrín returned the mandate the President of Iceland decided not to hand any of the party leaders a formal mandate, instead encouraging them to engage in informal talks.
Imag's simple guide to what's going on
The results of the parliamentary elections:
| Party | %of vote | MPs | |
| Independence party (conservative) | 29% | 21 | |
| Left-green movement (leftist) | 15.9% | 10 | |
| Pirate party (center-left) | 14.5% | 10 | |
| Progress party (center-right/liberal) | 11.5% | 8 | |
| Restoration (center-right/conservative) | 10.5% | 7 | |
| Bright future (centrist) | 7.2% | 4 | |
| Social democratic alliance (leftist) | 5.7% | 3 |
With 63 members of parliament a majority coalition would have to count at least 32 MPs. The situation is made more complex by the following:
Fractured parties and blocks
The centrist parties have promised to enter into any coalition government as a block 11 MPs strong, effectively reducing the number of players to six. The Progressive party remains deeply fractured and highly toxic after the Panama papers scandal which forced its former chairman and Prime Minister of Iceland, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, to resign. Only the Independence party remains strongly supportive of working with the Progressive party. Sigmundur and the current chairman have not seen eye-to-eye, and most pundits believe the party will not operate as a cohesive unit, reducing its size in parliament to 6 or 7.
Center-right coalition?
Restoration and Bright future have ruled out a government where both the Independence party and Progress party (the previous coalition parties) are represented. The Independence party + Restoration + Bright future only have 32 MPs
Many in the Independence party distrust Restoration, which is largely made up of former members of the Independence party who split over the growing conservativism of the Independence party. A 1 MP majority would make such a government very unstable.
The main policy disagreements are over changes to agricultural and fisheries policies, application for membership in the European Union and changes to the Icelandic constitution.
A center-left coalition?
The Pirate party has refused to work with the Progress party, making a five party coalition of Left-greens, Restoration, Bright future, Social democratic alliance and Pirate party the only option for a center-left coalition. There are no obvious reasons why compromise could not be found to form such a government.
However, significant policy disagreement exists between the five parties. Restoration has opposed tax hikes favoured by the Left-greens, while the Left-greens and the two centrist parties disagree on the nature of reforms to the fisheries and agricultural policies. The left greens favour an approach focused on taxes and command and control measures, while the centrist parties, as well as the Pirates, favour market based solutions.
Across the aisle coalitions?
The Left-greens have repeatedly refused to contemplate working with the Conservative party, and the party grassroots would be a permanent source of internal opposition to the government.
The Pirate party has ruled out joining a government with either the Independence or Progress parties.
Policy disagreements in such a government would be enormous, but many pundits believe the compromises struck could lay the ground for solid political and economic stability.
Minority government?
The fourth option is a minority government enjoying the neutrality of either some of the centrist parties or the Pirate party.
The Pirate party has repeatedly said it is willing to support a minority government. Such a government would in all likelihood not sit a full four year term, but would instead focus on making some previously agreed upon changes to the constitution or the agricultural and fishing systems.
The chairman of the conservative Independence party and the Left-green movement will meet to discuss possible areas of agreement between the two parties and the possibility of the two parties joining in a coalition government which could bridge the two polar extremes of Icelandic politics, the local news site visir.is reports. Such a coalition government would have to include at least one more political party.
Read more: Centrist parties resume talks with conservatives on formation of three party coalition
Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the chairwoman of the Left-green movement told the local news site visir.is that the the two parties were merely engaging in informal talks at this stage. Formal negotiations between the two parties are not yet on the agenda. Katrín has previously stated that the two parties are furthest apart of any of the political parties in the Icelandic parliament. A statement from the Left-green movement similarly stresses that while the President of Iceland has been informed of the talks, they are strictly informal.
According to the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV it was Bjarni who reached out to Katrín. An across-the-aisle coalition encompassing the Independence party and the Left-greens has been very popular among many conservatives, but the idea remains deeply popular among those on the left. The social media feed of members of the Left-green movement and Icelandic leftists has been on fire since the news broke.
The reason the conservatives are interested in working with the Left-greens is that a center-right coalition with the two centrist parties would only have a one seat majority in parliament. The local newspaper DV reports that many within the Independence party are also deeply suspicious of the centrist Restoration. Adding the Left-green movement to the coalition is virtually the only chance the Independence party has to form a coalition government.
Read more: Analysis: No coalition in sight after Left-greens give up on forming a center-left government
The President of Iceland had handed Katrín the mandate to form a coalition government after Bjarni Benediktsson, the chairman of the conservative Independence party had returned his mandate on November 15 having failed to convince the two centrist parties Restoration and Bright future to join a center-right coalition. Katrín in turn returned the mandate on November 25 after negotiations on the formation of a five party center-left coalition broke down. After Katrín returned the mandate the President of Iceland decided not to hand any of the party leaders a formal mandate, instead encouraging them to engage in informal talks.
Imag's simple guide to what's going on
The results of the parliamentary elections:
| Party | %of vote | MPs | |
| Independence party (conservative) | 29% | 21 | |
| Left-green movement (leftist) | 15.9% | 10 | |
| Pirate party (center-left) | 14.5% | 10 | |
| Progress party (center-right/liberal) | 11.5% | 8 | |
| Restoration (center-right/conservative) | 10.5% | 7 | |
| Bright future (centrist) | 7.2% | 4 | |
| Social democratic alliance (leftist) | 5.7% | 3 |
With 63 members of parliament a majority coalition would have to count at least 32 MPs. The situation is made more complex by the following:
Fractured parties and blocks
The centrist parties have promised to enter into any coalition government as a block 11 MPs strong, effectively reducing the number of players to six. The Progressive party remains deeply fractured and highly toxic after the Panama papers scandal which forced its former chairman and Prime Minister of Iceland, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, to resign. Only the Independence party remains strongly supportive of working with the Progressive party. Sigmundur and the current chairman have not seen eye-to-eye, and most pundits believe the party will not operate as a cohesive unit, reducing its size in parliament to 6 or 7.
Center-right coalition?
Restoration and Bright future have ruled out a government where both the Independence party and Progress party (the previous coalition parties) are represented. The Independence party + Restoration + Bright future only have 32 MPs
Many in the Independence party distrust Restoration, which is largely made up of former members of the Independence party who split over the growing conservativism of the Independence party. A 1 MP majority would make such a government very unstable.
The main policy disagreements are over changes to agricultural and fisheries policies, application for membership in the European Union and changes to the Icelandic constitution.
A center-left coalition?
The Pirate party has refused to work with the Progress party, making a five party coalition of Left-greens, Restoration, Bright future, Social democratic alliance and Pirate party the only option for a center-left coalition. There are no obvious reasons why compromise could not be found to form such a government.
However, significant policy disagreement exists between the five parties. Restoration has opposed tax hikes favoured by the Left-greens, while the Left-greens and the two centrist parties disagree on the nature of reforms to the fisheries and agricultural policies. The left greens favour an approach focused on taxes and command and control measures, while the centrist parties, as well as the Pirates, favour market based solutions.
Across the aisle coalitions?
The Left-greens have repeatedly refused to contemplate working with the Conservative party, and the party grassroots would be a permanent source of internal opposition to the government.
The Pirate party has ruled out joining a government with either the Independence or Progress parties.
Policy disagreements in such a government would be enormous, but many pundits believe the compromises struck could lay the ground for solid political and economic stability.
Minority government?
The fourth option is a minority government enjoying the neutrality of either some of the centrist parties or the Pirate party.
The Pirate party has repeatedly said it is willing to support a minority government. Such a government would in all likelihood not sit a full four year term, but would instead focus on making some previously agreed upon changes to the constitution or the agricultural and fishing systems.
