Iceland PM calls new election as coalition government collapses | Politics News

Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson calls elections for November, citing political disagreements as the cause of the government’s collapse.

Icelandic Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson has dissolved the country’s three-party coalition government and called for new elections in November.

In a news conference on Sunday, Benediktsson said problems related to foreign policy, asylum seekers and energy had increased within the left-right coalition, public broadcaster RUV reported.

The coalition consisted of the right-wing Independence Party, which Benediktsson leads, the left-wing Green Movement and the center-right Progressive Party.

The Prime Minister said the issues were “less discussed in the last election”. [in 2021] than need to be discussed now,” he emphasized, “how different they are [Left-Green] The movement’s vision for the future is compared to what I want to stand for.”

Benediktsson told the Visir news agency that “it would be best if the government.” [had] a shared vision.”

“It is disappointing when projects fail or circumstances change,” he added.

The prime minister said he would meet with Icelandic President Halla Tomasdottir on Monday to discuss the dissolution of parliament and general elections, which RUV said should take place in 45 days at the latest.

The prime minister, who has already said he would receive strong support from his party to run in the November election, is one of Iceland’s most experienced politicians. He was previously finance minister and foreign minister.

Benediktsson took office in April after Katrin Jakobsdottir of the Left-Green Movement resigned to run for the presidency, which she failed to win.

An Oct. 1 Gallup poll showed the coalition had the support of only a quarter of voters, 24.6 percent, the lowest Gallup has recorded for an Icelandic government in 30 years.

The future of the coalition government was particularly uncertain after recent volcanic eruptions forced thousands to flee their homes, putting pressure on an economy already struggling with high inflation and high interest rates.