Prime Minister of Iceland

Prime Minister of Iceland
Forsætisráðherra Íslands (Icelandic)
since 9 April 2024
Prime Minister's Office
Style
Member of
SeatReykjavík, Iceland
AppointerPresident
Term lengthNo term limit
Constituting instrument
PrecursorMinister for Iceland
Inaugural holderJón Magnússon
Formation1 February 1904; 120 years ago (1904-02-01)
Salary2,021,825 kr/US$ 14,038 monthly[1]
Websiteeng.forsaetisraduneyti.is (in English)
forsaetisraduneyti.is (in Icelandic)

The prime minister of Iceland (Icelandic: Forsætisráðherra Íslands) is head of government of the Republic of Iceland. The prime minister is appointed formally by the president and exercises executive authority along with the cabinet subject to parliamentary support.

Constitutional basis

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The prime minister is appointed by the president under the Constitution of Iceland, Section II Article 17, and chairs the Cabinet of Iceland:

Fundunum stjórnar sá ráðherra, er forseti lýðveldisins hefur kvatt til forsætis, og nefnist hann forsætisráðherra.[2]
The [cabinet] meetings shall be presided over by the Minister called upon by the President of the Republic to do so, who is designated Prime Minister.[3]

Locations

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The prime minister's office is located in the Governing Council (Stjórnarráðið), Reykjavik, where their secretariat is based and where cabinet meetings are held.[4] The prime minister has a summer residence, Þingvallabær in Þingvellir. The prime minister also has a reception house in Tjarnargata, Reykjavik, which was the prime ministerial residence until 1943.[5]

List of previous prime ministers

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Home Rule (1904–1918)

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No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency
Took office Left office Party
1 Hannes Hafstein
(1861–1922)
MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla
1 February
1904
31 March
1909
Home Rule Party
2 Björn Jónsson
(1846–1912)
MP for Barðastrandarsýsla
31 March
1909
14 March
1911
Independence Party
3 Kristján Jónsson
(1852–1926)
MP for Borgarfjarðarsýsla
14 March
1911
24 July
1912
Independent
(1) Hannes Hafstein
(1861–1922)
MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla
24 July
1912
21 July
1914
Union Party
4 Sigurður Eggerz
(1875–1945)
MP for West Skaftafellssýsla
21 July
1914
4 May
1915
Independence Party
5 Einar Arnórsson
(1880–1955)
MP for Árnessýsla
4 May
1915
4 January
1917
Independence Party
(Langsum)

Kingdom (1918–1944)

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Political party:   Home Rule   Independence   Conservative   Progressive   Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency
Term of office Political Party Cabinet Election Monarch
(Reign)
# Took office Left office Days
6 Jón Magnússon
(1859–1926)
MP for Reykjavík until 1920
not in Parliament from 1920
1 4 January
1917
25 February
1920
1888 Home Rule Party HPIPPP Oct.
1916
Kristján X

(1918–1944)
2 25 February
1920
7 March
1922
HP–others 1919
(4) Sigurður Eggerz
(1875–1945)
MP without constituency
1 7 March
1922
22 March
1924
746 Independence Party IP–others
1923
(6) Jón Magnússon
(1859–1926)
MP without constituency
3 22 March
1924
23 June
1926
(died)
823 Conservative Party CP
7 Magnús Guðmundsson
Acting
(1879–1937)
MP for Skagafjarðarsýsla
23 June
1926
8 July
1926
15 Conservative Party
8 Jón Þorláksson
(1877–1935)
MP without constituency
1 8 July
1926
28 August
1927
416 Conservative Party
9 Tryggvi Þórhallsson
(1889–1935)
MP for Strandasýsla
1 28 August
1927
3 June
1932
1741 Progressive Party PP 1927
1931
10 Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
(1894–1972)
MP for West Ísafjarðarsýsla
1 3 June
1932
28 July
1934
785 Progressive Party PPIP–Peasants
1933
11 Hermann Jónasson
(1896–1976)
MP for Strandasýsla
1 28 July
1934
16 May
1942
2849 Progressive Party PPSDP 1934
2 PP 1937
3 PPIPSDP
4
12 Ólafur Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
1 16 May
1942
16 December
1942
214 Independence Party IP Jul.
1942
Oct.
1942
13 Björn Þórðarson
(1879–1963)
Not in Parliament
1 16 December
1942
21 October
1944
675 Independent

Republic (1944–present)

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Political party:   Independence   Progressive   Social Democratic Party   Social Democratic Alliance   Left-Green

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency
Term of office Political Party Cabinet Election President
(term)
# Took Office Left Office Days
(12) Ólafur Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
2 21 October
1944
4 February
1947
836 Independence Party IPSDPSP 1946 Sveinn
Björnsson


(1944–1952)
14 Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson
(1894–1980)
MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla
1 4 February
1947
6 December
1949
1036 Social Democratic Party
(12) Ólafur Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
3 6 December
1949
14 March
1950
98 Independence Party IP 1949
15 Steingrímur Steinþórsson
(1893–1966)
MP for Skagafjarðarsýsla
1 14 March
1950
11 September
1953
1277 Progressive Party PPIP
(12) Ólafur Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
4 11 September
1953
24 July
1956
1035 Independence Party 1953 Ásgeir
Ásgeirsson


(1952–1968)
(11) Hermann Jónasson
(1896–1976)
MP for Strandasýsla
5 24 July
1956
23 December
1958
894 Progressive Party PPSDPPA 1956
16 Emil Jónsson
(1902–1986)
MP for Hafnarfjörður
1 23 December
1958
20 November
1959
332 Social Democratic Party SDP Jun.
1959
(12) Ólafur Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
5 20 November
1959
8 September
1961
658 Independence Party IPSDP Oct.
1959
17 Bjarni Benediktsson
Acting
(1908–1970)
MP for Reykjavík
8 September
1961
31 December
1961
114 Independence Party
(12) Ólafur Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
1 January
1962
14 November
1963
682 Independence Party
(17) Bjarni Benediktsson
(1908–1970)
MP for Reykjavík
1 14 November
1963
10 July
1970
(died)
2430 Independence Party 1963
1967 Kristján
Eldjárn


(1968–1980)
18 Jóhann Hafstein
(1915–1980)
MP for Reykjavík
1 Acting: 10 July
10 October
1970
14 July
1971
369 Independence Party
19 Ólafur Jóhannesson
(1913–1984)
MP for Northwestern
1 14 July
1971
28 August
1974
1141 Progressive Party PPPALL 1971
20 Geir Hallgrímsson
(1925–1990)
MP for Reykjavík
1 28 August
1974
1 September
1978
1465 Independence Party IPPP 1974
(19) Ólafur Jóhannesson
(1913–1984)
MP for Northwestern
2 1 September
1978
15 October
1979
409 Progressive Party PPPASDP 1978
21 Benedikt Gröndal
(1924–2010)
MP for Reykjavík
1 15 October
1979
8 February
1980
116 Social Democratic Party SDP 1979
22 Gunnar Thoroddsen
(1910–1983)
MP for Reykjavík
1 8 February
1980
26 May
1983
1203 Independence Party
(*Gunnar's faction)
IP*–PPPA Vigdís
Finnbogadóttir


(1980–1996)
23 Steingrímur Hermannsson
(1928–2010)
MP for Westfjords
1 26 May
1983
8 July
1987
1504 Progressive Party PPIP 1983
24 Þorsteinn Pálsson
(born 1947)
MP for Southern
1 8 July
1987
28 September
1988
448 Independence Party IPPPSDP 1987
(23) Steingrímur Hermannsson
(1928–2010)
MP for Reykjanes
2 28 September
1988
30 April
1991
944 Progressive Party PPSDPPA
3 PPSDPPACiP
25 Davíð Oddsson
(born 1948)
MP for Reykjavík until 2003
MP for Reykjavík North from 2003
1 30 April
1991
15 September
2004
4887 Independence Party IPSDP 1991
2 IPPP 1995 Ólafur
Ragnar
Grímsson


(1996–2016)
3 1999
4 2003
26 Halldór Ásgrímsson
(1947–2015)
MP for Reykjavík North
1 15 September
2004
15 June
2006
638 Progressive Party
27 Geir Haarde
(born 1951)
MP for Reykjavík South
1 15 June
2006
1 February
2009
962 Independence Party
2 IPSDA 2007
28 Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
(born 1942)
MP for Reykjavík North
1 1 February
2009
23 May
2013
1572 Social Democratic Alliance SDALGM
2 2009
29 Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
(born 1975)
MP for Northeast
1 23 May
2013
7 April
2016
1049 Progressive Party PPIP 2013
30 Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
(born 1962)
MP for South
1 7 April
2016
11 January
2017
280 Progressive Party Guðni Th.
Jóhannesson


(2016–2024)
31 Bjarni Benediktsson
(born 1970)
MP for Southwest
1 11 January
2017
30 November
2017
323 Independence Party IPRPBF 2016
32 Katrín Jakobsdóttir
(born 1976)
MP for Reykjavík North
1 30 November
2017
9 April
2024
2549 Left-Green Movement LGMIPPP 2017
2 2021
(31) Bjarni Benediktsson
(born 1970)
MP for Southwest
2 9 April
2024
Incumbent 227 Independence Party Halla
Tómasdóttir


(2024–present)

Timeline

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Katrín JakobsdóttirBjarni Benediktsson (born 1970)Sigurður Ingi JóhannssonSigmundur Davíð GunnlaugssonJóhanna SigurðardóttirGeir HaardeHalldór ÁsgrímssonDavíð OddssonÞorsteinn PálssonSteingrímur HermannssonGunnar ThoroddsenBenedikt Sigurðsson GröndalGeir HallgrímssonÓlafur JóhannessonJóhann HafsteinBjarni Benediktsson (born 1908)Emil JónssonSteingrímur SteinþórssonStefán Jóhann StefánssonBjörn ÞórðarsonÓlafur ThorsHermann JónassonÁsgeir ÁsgeirssonTryggvi ÞórhallssonJón ÞorlákssonMagnús GuðmundssonSigurður EggerzJón Magnússon (politician)


See also

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References

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  1. ^ "2016.3.001 Alþingismenn, ráðherrar og forseti Íslands" [2016.3.001 Parliamentarians, Ministers and President of Iceland] (PDF). Kjararáð (in Icelandic). p. 7.
  2. ^ Constitution of Iceland (Icelandic version)
  3. ^ Constitution of Iceland (English version)
  4. ^ "The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in Iceland". Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Minister's Residence". Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
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