The president of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, will not seek re-election for a sixth term when presidential elections will be held next summer the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service reports. Ólafur Ragnar made the announcement in his new-year’s address on January 1. Icelanders are therefore set to elect a new president in the presidential elections will be held on June 25 2016.
In recent years public opinion of Ólafur Ragnar has become increasingly polarized, both due to his actions in office and the long time he has served. No president in Iceland’s history has served as long as Ólafur Ragnar, who was first elected president in 1996. He will therefore have served for 20 years when he leaves office. He is currently the second longest serving president of Europe. Only Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus has served longer than Ólafur. He is also the seventeenth longest serving president in the world.
A recent poll by the polling firm MMR revealed Ólafur Ragnar remains quite popular, as 48% said they were pleased with his presidency and only 25% unhappy.
The president of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, will not seek re-election for a sixth term when presidential elections will be held next summer the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service reports. Ólafur Ragnar made the announcement in his new-year’s address on January 1. Icelanders are therefore set to elect a new president in the presidential elections will be held on June 25 2016.
In recent years public opinion of Ólafur Ragnar has become increasingly polarized, both due to his actions in office and the long time he has served. No president in Iceland’s history has served as long as Ólafur Ragnar, who was first elected president in 1996. He will therefore have served for 20 years when he leaves office. He is currently the second longest serving president of Europe. Only Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus has served longer than Ólafur. He is also the seventeenth longest serving president in the world.
A recent poll by the polling firm MMR revealed Ólafur Ragnar remains quite popular, as 48% said they were pleased with his presidency and only 25% unhappy.
