Iceland vote: Centre-right opposition wins election
Source: BBC News
Centre-right opposition parties in Iceland are set for a return to power with nearly all votes counted after Saturday's parliamentary election.
The Independence party has 26% and the Progressive party 24%, putting them on track to win nearly 40 of the 63 seats.
The ruling Social Democrats are trailing with around 13%.
It is a dramatic comeback for the parties widely blamed for Iceland's economic meltdown in 2008.
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22320282
xchrom
(108,903 posts)voters get the governments they deserve.
I amsure glad they have elected this new one. Now if the USA wil wake up and get rid of the austerity idiots in both parties, this country can start solving its own problems.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)(Reuters) - Fatigued by years of austerity and swayed by promises of debt relief, Icelandic voters dumped the Social Democrats from power on Saturday, returning a centre-right government that ruled over its stunning financial collapse just five years ago.
Once a European financial hub, this windswept north Atlantic island of glaciers, geysers and volcanoes has been limping along for years, still crippled from a crash that brought it to its knees in just a matter of days.
"We are offering a different road, a road to growth, protecting social security, better welfare and job creation," Independence Party leader Bjarni Benediktsson, the favourite to become the next prime minister after his party took first place in the vote, told Reuters as the results were coming in.
"What we won't compromise about is cutting taxes and lifting the living standards of people," said Benediktsson, 43, a former professional soccer player.
daybranch
(1,309 posts)only democrats on social issues but finance hawks right? A government of Max Baucases?
In any case thank you for the news.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)i use progressive now.
BREMPRO
(2,331 posts)promises promises.. so familiar from politicians mouth to suckers ear..
sendero
(28,552 posts)... but nothing the center-right party has is going to do any better.
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)Iceland didn't just 'dis' their bankers. Their courts 'made whole again' as much banker damages as they could for their people.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,157 posts)in the election:
Its leader, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, 38, is campaigning on a proposal to write off up to 20% of Icelanders' mortgage debts by forcing foreign creditors to waive part of their claims against Iceland's failed banks.
...
But Icelanders' debt burden is still painfully high, and for the many that have price index-linked mortgages, this has been exacerbated by stubbornly high inflation. Some feel the government has focused on paying back international lenders at the expense of reversing ordinary peoples' fortunes. The government implemented a tough austerity programme to qualify for IMF loans. International capital controls introduced to prevent foreign creditors from withdrawing their money have been blamed for low foreign investment.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22301738
What they did was reduce loans to a maximum of 110% of the home value: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-20/icelandic-anger-brings-record-debt-relief-in-best-crisis-recovery-story.html
The number of bankers that have gone to jail isn't large:
(Reuters) - Two former executives at an Icelandic bank which collapsed in the 2008 financial meltdown were sentenced to jail on Friday for fraud which led to a 53 million euro loss, in the first major trial of Icelandic bankers linked to the crisis.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/uk-iceland-crisis-idUKBRE8BR0EW20121228
Notice that's the first major trial that has resulted in jail sentences, just 4 months ago.
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)classes.
Quantess
(27,630 posts)In the rest of europe, anti-immigration political parties are gaining ground. However, Iceland really doesn't let in very many immigrants, so that can't be the reason... I don't get it.
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)allows visa fee entry for some but that doesn't necessarily allow immigrants to work there without permits of some description.
Aside from that the weather there may not suit some. I would have been surprised if they had had any immigrant issues there.
They were bailed out in 2008 to the tune of US$ 4.6 billion by the IMF and other Nordic countries. Whilst they are capable of printing money, they're not in the Euro , I'm not sure how they intend to fund any projected changes now.
Lydia Leftcoast
(48,217 posts)On one of the tours I took, the bus driver was from Latvia, and I had lunch in a restaurant that was run by Chinese.
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)google immigration to Iceland and read the rules.
They are very closed door on immigration policies, always have been.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,157 posts)though some think that will end up helping those to took out the most expensive loans, rather than the average Icelander. They are also against joining the EU and, given the uncertainty of the Euro, that looks good to many. An article from yesterday: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/26/iceland-elections-voters-fear-eu
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)that the private banks which caused their problems had previously been state owned anyway.
pampango
(24,692 posts)Iceland - 10.9%
UK - 11.6%
Germany - 12.0%
France - 11.2%
Sweden - 14.7%
Norway - 11.6%
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-SF-12-031/EN/KS-SF-12-031-EN.PDF
So Iceland immigration laws must be similar to those of the rest of Europe, but I don't see anti-immigration sentiments mentioned in the BBC article in the OP. It seems more connected to anti-austerity.
The centre-right camp has promised debt relief and a cut in taxes. - (That sure has a familiar right-wing ring to it.)
The two parties are also seen as Eurosceptic, and their poll success could slow down Iceland's efforts to become a member of the European Union. - (Conservative eurosceptics across Europe will be happy to see this. They are trying to get their countries out of the EU. Seeing new countries want to join has to hurt those efforts.)
The Eurosceptics argue that Iceland already gets most of the benefits of full membership through existing free trade arrangements with the EU and by being part the Schengen visa-free travel zone.
Many Icelanders have become frustrated with the outgoing Social Democrat government, saying that its austerity policies were too painful.
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)if follows that Iceland has got c. 30,000 and the UK for example c. 6 million. I think this is a case where statistics can mislead.
Exultant Democracy
(6,594 posts)pampango
(24,692 posts)country. The percentage of foreign-born living in a country is a fair representation of the openness of that country to immigration.
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)a national health care system. No insurance companies and no private hospitals.
Lydia Leftcoast
(48,217 posts)in the U.S.
pampango
(24,692 posts)http://euobserver.com/tickers/119968