Political Leaders: Iceland

Leaders of Iceland
(Republic of Iceland)

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Also visit a detailed page on Icelandic Governments since 1990 to know more about the ruling parties. Look for biographies of the leaders (in Spanish) at CIDOB website.

Parties: AB: People's Alliance (Alþýðubandalagið, merged into SF in 1998) AF: Social Democratic Party (Alþýðuflokkurinn, merged into SF in 1998) FSF: Progressive Party (Framsóknarflokkurinn) SF: Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) SSF: Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn)

Heads of State

President of the Republic
Sveinn Björnsson               17 Jun 1944 - 25 Jan 1952 (+)      

Interim Triumvirate (*)
Steingrímur Steinthórsson +                              (+1966)
Jón Pálmason                                             (+1973) 
Jón Ásbjörnsson                25 Jan 1952 - 31 Jul 1952 (+1966)  

Presidents of the Republic
Ásgeir Ásgeirsson               1 Aug 1952 -  1 Aug 1968 (+1972)  
Kristján Thórarinsson Eldjárn   1 Aug 1968 -  1 Aug 1980 (+1982)  
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir           1 Aug 1980 -  1 Aug 1996          
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson          1 Aug 1996 -

(*) Lieutenants for the President, acting as collective leadership of the State.

Prime Ministers

Ólafur Thors                   21 Oct 1944 -  4 Feb 1947 (+1964) SSF
Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson        4 Feb 1947 -  6 Dec 1949 (+1980) AF
Ólafur Thors                    6 Dec 1949 - 14 Mar 1950 (+1964) SSF
Steingrímur Steinthórsson      14 Mar 1950 - 11 Sep 1953 (+1966) FSF
Ólafur Thors                   11 Sep 1953 - 24 Jul 1956 (+1964) SSF
Hermann Jónasson               24 Jul 1956 - 23 Dec 1958 (+1976) FSF
Emil Jónsson                   23 Dec 1958 - 20 Nov 1959 (+1986) AF
Ólafur Thors                   20 Nov 1959 - 14 Nov 1963 (+1964) SSF
Bjarni Benediktsson            14 Nov 1963 - 10 Jul 1970 (+)k    SSF
Jóhann Hafstein                10 Jul 1970 - 14 Jul 1971 (+1980) SSF
Ólafur Jóhannesson             14 Jul 1971 - 28 Aug 1974 (+1984) FSF
Geir Hallgrímsson              28 Aug 1974 -  1 Sep 1978 (+1990) SSF
Ólafur Jóhannesson              1 Sep 1978 - 15 Oct 1979 (+1984) FSF
Benedikt Sigurðsson Gröndal    15 Oct 1979 -  8 Feb 1980 (+2010) AF
Gunnar Thoroddsen               8 Feb 1980 - 26 May 1983 (+1983) SSF
Steingrímur Hermannsson        26 May 1983 -  8 Jul 1987 (+2010) FSF
Thorsteinn Pálsson              8 Jul 1987 - 28 Sep 1988         SSF
Steingrímur Hermannsson        28 Sep 1988 - 30 Apr 1991 (+2010) FSF
Davíd Oddsson                  30 Apr 1991 - 15 Sep 2004         SSF
Halldór Ásgrímsson             15 Sep 2004 - 15 Jun 2006         FSF 
Geir Hilmar Haarde             15 Jun 2006 -  1 Feb 2009         SSF  
Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir          1 Feb 2009 -                     SF

Ministers of Foreign Affairs

Ólafur Thors                   1944-1947 (+1964)  SSF  
Bjarni Benediktsson            1947-1953 (+1970)k SSF
Kristinn Gudmundsson           1953-1956 (+1982)
Gudmundur Ívarsson Gudmundsson 1956      (+1987)
Emil Jónsson                   1956      (+1986)  AF (acting)
Gudmundur Ívarsson Gudmundsson 1956-1965 (+1987)
Emil Jónsson                   1965-1971 (+1986)  AF
Einar Ágústsson                1971-1978 (+1986)
Benedikt Sigurðsson Gröndal    1978-1980 (+2010)  AF
Ólafur Jóhannesson             1980-1983 (+1984)  FSF
Geir Hallgrímsson              1983-1986 (+1990)  SSF
Matthías Á. Mathiesen          1986-1987          SSF
Steingrímur Hermannsson        1987-1988 (+2010)  FSF
Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson       1988-1995          AF
Halldór Ásgrímsson             1995-2004          FSF
Davíd Oddsson                  2004-2005          SSF  
Geir Hilmar Haarde             2005-2006          SSF
Valgerdur Sverrisdóttir        2006-2007          FSF
Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir   2007-2009          SF
Össur Skarphédinsson           2009-              SF

(Source: Rulers)

Leaders of SSF

Ólafur Thors                   1934-1961 (+1964)
Bjarni Benediktsson            1961-1970 (+)k
Jóhann Hafstein                1970-1973 (+1980) 
Geir Hallgrímsson              1973-1983 (+1990)
Thorsteinn Pálsson             1983-1991 
Davíd Oddsson                  1991-2005
Geir Hilmar Haarde             2005-

(List courtesy of Sveinn Herjolfsson)

Leaders of FSF

Hermann Jónasson               1944-1962 (+1976)
Eysteinn Jónsson               1962-1968 (+1993)
Ólafur Jóhannesson             1968-1979 (+1984)
Steingrímur Hermannsson        1979-1994 (+2010)
Halldór Ásgrímsson             1994-2006
Jón Sigurdsson                 2006-2007
Gudni Ágústsson                2007-2008
Valgerdur Sverrisdóttir        2008-2009
Sigmundur Davíd Gunnlaugsson   2009-

(List courtesy of Sveinn Herjolfsson)

Leaders of SF

Margrét Frímannsdóttir         1999-2000 
Össur Skarphéðinsson           2000-2005 
Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir   2005-

SF was launched in 1998 as a four-party coalition made by the Social Democratic Party, the People's Alliance, the Womens's Alliance and the National Movement. The parties formally merged into a single one in May 2000. (List courtesy of Sveinn Herjolfsson)

Leaders of AF

Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson       1938-1952 (+1980)
Hannibal Valdimarsson          1952-1954 (+1991)
Haraldur Gudmundsson           1954-1958 (+1971)
Emil Jónsson                   1958-1968 (+1986)
Gylfi Thorsteinsson Gíslason   1968-1974 (+2004)
Benedikt Sigurðsson Gröndal    1974-1980 (+2010)
Kjartan Jóhannsson             1980-1984 
Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson       1984-1996 
Sighvatur Björgvinsson         1996-1998

In 1998 the AF allied with the People's Alliance, the Womens's Alliance and the National Movement to form the current Social Democratic Alliance (see above). (List courtesy of Sveinn Herjolfsson)

Leaders of AB

Hannibal Valdimarsson          1956-1968 (+1991)
Ragnar Arnalds                 1968-1977 
Lúðvík Jósepsson               1977-1980
Svavar Gestsson                1980-1987
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson         1987-1995 
Margrét Frímannsdóttir         1995-1998

In 1998 the AB allied with the Social Democratic Party, the Womens's Alliance and the National Movement to form the current Social Democratic Alliance (see above).

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