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Iceland - Government and Political Conditions (Notes)

GOVERNMENT The president, elected to a 4-year term, has limited powers. When Iceland became a republic in 1944, the post of president was created to fill the void left by the Danish king. Although the president is popularly elected and has limited veto powers (he can force a public referendum on a proposed law by refusing to sign it--a power that has only once been exercised), the expectation is that the president should play the same limited role as a monarch in a traditional parliamentary system. The prime minister and cabinet exercise most executive functions. The parliament is composed of 63 members, elected every 4 years unless it is dissolved sooner. Suffrage for presidential and parliamentary elections is universal for those 18 and older, and members of the parliament are elected on the basis of parties' proportional representation in six constituencies. The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, district courts, and various special courts. The constitution protects the judiciary from infringement by the other two branches. Principal Government Officials President--Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson Prime Minister--Geir H. Haarde Foreign Minister--Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir Minister of Finance--Árni M. Mathiesen Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs--Björn Bjarnason Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries--Einar Kristinn Guðfinnson Minister of Communications--Kristján L. Möller Minister of Industry and Nordic Cooperation--Össur Skarphéðinsson Minister for the Environment--Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir Minister of Commerce--Björgvin G. Sigurðsson Minister of Health--Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson Minister of Social Affairs--Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir Minister of Education, Science and Culture--Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir Speaker of Althingi--Sturla Böðvarsson Ambassador to the U.S.--Albert Jónsson Ambassador to the UN--Hjálmar W. Hannesson Ambassador to NATO--Gunnar Gunnarsson Ambassador to the EU-- Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson transliteration key: Þ is 'th' ð is 'd' Iceland maintains an embassy in the United States at 1156 - 15th Street, NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20005 [tel. (202) 265-6653], and a consulate general at 800 Third Ave, 36th floor, New York, NY 10022 [tel. (212) 593-2700]. Iceland also has 25 honorary consulates in major U.S. cities.