Wikipedia

Left-Green Movement

TheLeft-Green Movement(Icelandic:Vinstrihreyfingin – grænt framboð,lit. 'Left Movement – Green Candidature'), also known by its short-form nameVinstri græn(VG), is aneco-socialistpolitical partyinIceland.[1]

Left-Green Movement
Vinstrihreyfingin – grænt framboð
ChairpersonSvandís Svavarsdóttir
Vice-chairpersonGuðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson
Chairperson of the parliamentary groupOrri Páll Jóhannsson
General SecretaryBjörg Eva Erlendsdóttir
Founded6 February 1999
Split fromPeople's Alliance
Women's List
HeadquartersTúngata 14 101,Reykjavík
Youth wingYoung Left-Greens
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left[7]toleft-wing[8][9]
Nordic affiliationNordic Green Left Alliance
ColoursGreenRed
Seats inParliament
0 / 63
Election symbol
V
Website
vg.is

Since the2024 Icelandic parliamentary election,the party has had no members in theAlthing.The party chairperson isSvandís Svavarsdóttir,the vice chair isGuðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson,and the general secretary is Björg Eva Erlendsdóttir.

The Left-Green Movement is a member of theNordic Green Left Alliance.[10]

History

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The party was founded in 1999 by members of Althing who did not approve of the merger of left-wing political parties inIcelandwhich resulted in the formation of theSocial Democratic Alliance.

In the1999 Icelandic parliamentary election,the Left-Green Movement took 9.1% of the vote and six seats in the Althing. The party had five members in the 63-seat Icelandic parliament after the2003 Icelandic parliamentary election,where it polled 8.8% of the vote. After the2007 Icelandic parliamentary election,the party had 9 seats in parliament, having received 14.3% of the vote.

After the2009 Icelandic parliamentary election,the Left-Green Movement joined thefirst cabinet of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttiras the minor partner to thecentre-leftSocial Democratic Allianceafter the previous coalition government of the Alliance and thecentre-rightIndependence Partycollapsed. In the2009 Icelandic parliamentary election,it rose from nine seats to 14. With this, it became Iceland's third-largest party (close behind the Independence Party) with 21.7% of the vote; this was the second largest outcome of aleft-wingparty in Iceland after the post-communistPeople's Alliancein 1978, when it got 22.9% of the vote. The party gained one seat in addition, when a non-party parliamentarian joined the party.[11]Later, three members of the parliamentary group have left the party. One joined theNordic agrarianProgressive Partyand two others becamenon-partisans.After the2013 Icelandic parliamentary election,the party was in the opposition and had seven seats in the parliament. In the2016 Icelandic parliamentary election,the party polled 15.9% of the vote and 10 seats in the Althing, becoming the second largest party, tied with thePirates,after the Independence Party. However, after the collapse of the coalition government andsnap parliamentary elections in 2017,the party increased its seats in parliament to 11 and became the second-largest party, forming a three-party coalition with the Independence Party and Progressive Party, and party chairKatrín Jakobsdóttirbecame the prime minister. The party lost three seats in the2021 parliamentary elections,but stayed in government. After the 2021 parliamentaryelection,the new government was, just like the previous government, a tri-party coalition of theIndependence Party,theProgressive Partyand the Left-Green Movement, headed by Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir.[12]

Katrín stepped down as prime minister and party leader to run forPresident of Icelandin the2024 election,which she lost, coming in second place afterHalla Tómasdóttir.[13]She was replaced as prime minister by the Independence Party'sBjarni Benediktsson.[14]Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandssonbecame the interim party leader after Katrín. He returned to his position as vice-chairperson whenSvandís Svavarsdóttirwas elected as the new party leader in October of 2024.[15]On 13 October, Bjarni announced that the government had collapsed due to disputes over foreign policy, asylum seekers, and energy, prompting him to call fora parliamentary electionin November.[16]Four days after the announcement, the Left-Green Movement withdrew from the government.[17]

In thesubsequent election,the Left-Green Movementlost all their seats.

Ideology

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The Left-Green Movement focuses ondemocratic socialistvalues,feminism,andenvironmentalism,as well as increased democracy and direct involvement of the people in the administration of the country. The party opposes Iceland's involvement inNATO,and also the American invasion and occupation ofIraqandAfghanistan.The party rejectsmembership of the European Union,and supports thePalestiniancause in the Middle East. It considers the mutual adaptation and integration of immigrants into Icelandic society as necessary.[18]

Election results

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Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
1999 Steingrímur J. Sigfússon 15,115 9.12
6 / 63
 New 4th Opposition
2003 16,129 8.80
5 / 63
 1 4th Opposition
2007 26,136 14.35
9 / 63
 4 3rd Opposition
2009 40,581 21.68
14 / 63
 5 3rd Coalition
2013 Katrín Jakobsdóttir 20,546 10.87
7 / 63
 7 4th Opposition
2016 30,166 15.91
10 / 63
 3 2nd Opposition
2017 33,155 16.89
11 / 63
 1 2nd Coalition
2021 25,114 12.57
8 / 63
 3 3rd Coalition
2024 Svandís Svavarsdóttir 4,973 2.34
0 / 63
 8 9th Extra-parliamentary

Leadership

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Nº Chairman Took office Left office
1 Steingrímur J. Sigfússon
(born 1955) 		1999 2013
2 Katrín Jakobsdóttir
(born 1976) 		2013 2024
3 Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson
(born 1977) 		April 2024 (as acting chairperson) October 2024
3 Svandís Svavarsdóttir
(born 1964) 		October 2024 present

References

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  1. ^abcdNordsieck, Wolfram (2017)."Iceland".Parties and Elections in Europe.Retrieved9 May2020.
  2. ^Contemporary Far Left Parties in Europe From Marxism to the Mainstream? Luke March, 2008, P.4
  3. ^Field, Luke (29 September 2021)."Iceland's centrist vote has resurged, but the left still has opportunities to govern and grow in a fragmented party system – RLS Brüssel".rosalux.eu.Retrieved11 July2022.
  4. ^"Iceland Votes, With Its Dependence on Tourism Exposed".Bloomberg L.P. 25 September 2021.Retrieved11 July2022.
  5. ^"The Reykjavík Grapevine Election Guide 2013".The Reykjavík Grapevine.5 April 2013.Archived14 September 2013 at theWayback Machine.Retrieved 14 September 2013
  6. ^".The Reykjavík Grapevine.
  7. ^Milne, Richard (30 November 2017)."Iceland forms left-right coalition government".Financial Times.Archivedfrom the original on 10 December 2022.Retrieved30 November2017.
  8. ^Ćirić, Jelena (27 October 2017)."Icelandic Parliamentary Election 2017: Party Overview".Iceland Review.Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  9. ^Sigurðardóttir, Guðrún Helga (17 November 2017)."Katrín Jakobsdóttir tipped as Iceland's new Prime Minister".Nordic Labour Journal.Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  10. ^"The Left-Green Movement of Iceland".Nordic Green Left Alliance.Archived fromthe originalon 18 February 2010.Retrieved19 September2010.
  11. ^"Independent Icelandic MP joins Left Greens".IceNews.Retrieved19 September2010.
  12. ^"New Government of Iceland Takes Office".Iceland Monitor.29 November 2021.
  13. ^"Businesswoman Halla Tomasdottir set to become Iceland's next president".Al Jazeera.
  14. ^RÚV, Fréttastofa (5 April 2024)."Katrín Jakobsdóttir býður sig fram til forseta - RÚV.is".RÚV.Retrieved27 June2024.
  15. ^Steindor Gretar Jonsson (6 October 2024)."Svandís Elected Left-Green Movement Leader".Iceland Review.Retrieved6 October2024.
  16. ^"Iceland PM calls new election as coalition government collapses".Al Jazeera.13 October 2024.Retrieved14 October2024.
  17. ^"Ríkisráðsfundur á Bessastöðum: Vinstri græn formlega hætt"(in Icelandic).RÚV.17 October 2024.Retrieved29 November2024.
  18. ^"The Left-Green Movement".Left-Green Movement homepage.Archived fromthe originalon 2 May 2007.Retrieved19 September2010.
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