A new Gallup poll conducted for the local business weekly Viðskiptablaðið shows the Pirate party wold receive 7 out of 23 seats on the city council, were elections held today. All other parties, except the Left-Green Alliance, lose support from the last poll.
Only Pirates and the Left green alliance gaining support
According to the poll, the Pirate party would receive 27.5% of the vote. In the last municipal election, the Pirate party received 5.9% of the vote and one councilman, Halldór Auðar Svansson. Currently, the number of councilmen is set at 15, but the city aims at increasing the number of councilmen to 23.
The conservative Independence party polls at 23.4%, compared to 25.7% in the last elections in 2014, the centre-right Progressive party polls at 4.5% compared to 10.7% in the elections, the Social democratic alliance at 24.7% compared to 31.9% in the elections, Bright future at 8.1% compared to 15.6% in the elections and the Left-green alliance at 11% compared to 8.3% in the elections.
Pirate party councilman: Not an indictment of the current coalition
Halldór Auðar Svansson tells Iceland Insider the reason for the support is in line with what we have been seeing in the national polls.
I think there are many reasons for it, one that comes to mind from feedback that I‘ve gotten from voters is that our general attitude and behaviour just seems to appeal to people. We definitely seem to be doing something right and we hope that our success spurs the other parties to take notice of that so that we will change Icelandic politics permanently. That‘s our main goal and always has been.
In 2014, the Pirate party formed a majority with the Social democratic alliance, Bright future, a party formed by former members of Jón Gnarr‘s Best party and the Left-green movement. Halldór does not interpret his party‘s surge as an indictment of the policies of the four-party coalition:
The coalition as a whole is still strong and the minority parties don‘t seem to be gaining so I think that the voters also seem to be saying that they like what this four-party ruling coalition is doing. … But the next elections in 2018 might be very interesting indeed, both with this shift in the polls and the fact that the number of council seats will go from 15 to 23.
Read more: Exclusive interview with Pirate MP: Resigned from Parliament to mix asphalt
A new Gallup poll conducted for the local business weekly Viðskiptablaðið shows the Pirate party wold receive 7 out of 23 seats on the city council, were elections held today. All other parties, except the Left-Green Alliance, lose support from the last poll.
Only Pirates and the Left green alliance gaining support
According to the poll, the Pirate party would receive 27.5% of the vote. In the last municipal election, the Pirate party received 5.9% of the vote and one councilman, Halldór Auðar Svansson. Currently, the number of councilmen is set at 15, but the city aims at increasing the number of councilmen to 23.
The conservative Independence party polls at 23.4%, compared to 25.7% in the last elections in 2014, the centre-right Progressive party polls at 4.5% compared to 10.7% in the elections, the Social democratic alliance at 24.7% compared to 31.9% in the elections, Bright future at 8.1% compared to 15.6% in the elections and the Left-green alliance at 11% compared to 8.3% in the elections.
Pirate party councilman: Not an indictment of the current coalition
Halldór Auðar Svansson tells Iceland Insider the reason for the support is in line with what we have been seeing in the national polls.
I think there are many reasons for it, one that comes to mind from feedback that I‘ve gotten from voters is that our general attitude and behaviour just seems to appeal to people. We definitely seem to be doing something right and we hope that our success spurs the other parties to take notice of that so that we will change Icelandic politics permanently. That‘s our main goal and always has been.
In 2014, the Pirate party formed a majority with the Social democratic alliance, Bright future, a party formed by former members of Jón Gnarr‘s Best party and the Left-green movement. Halldór does not interpret his party‘s surge as an indictment of the policies of the four-party coalition:
The coalition as a whole is still strong and the minority parties don‘t seem to be gaining so I think that the voters also seem to be saying that they like what this four-party ruling coalition is doing. … But the next elections in 2018 might be very interesting indeed, both with this shift in the polls and the fact that the number of council seats will go from 15 to 23.
Read more: Exclusive interview with Pirate MP: Resigned from Parliament to mix asphalt