The majority coalition in Reykjavík City Council has been brought to an end by the capital’s mayor following disagreements about housing and other matters.
Reykjavík’s mayor, Einar Þorsteinsson, broke the news to Iceland’s national broadcaster, RÚV, telling them that he would not be able to achieve set goals with the coalition as it currently exists.
“I have made the decision to end the majority partnership. We believe that we have not achieved the results for the people of Reykjavík that we promised them. We promised them changes and in this partnership we are not succeeding in forcing the changes that we believe are necessary,” the mayor told RÚV reporter, Alexander Kristjánsson.
“We need to make bigger decisions in housing matters. We also need to ensure the operational security of the airport. There are also ways in preschool matters that I have wanted to push forward and daycare issues. Then, what is perhaps most important is the operation of the city. I have wanted to go further in streamlining than we have agreed on. This is the result.”
What happens now?
Einar will continue on as as major and hope to form a new majority coalition with members of the Independence Party, Viðreisn and the People’s Party. A meeting was held last night planning for these discussions, though no comments were made to the media as to when the meeting was scheduled for.
Some government officials have expressed surprise and resignation at the mayor’s decision to end the majority coalition given that he was instrumental in its formation. City counsellor for the Left Greens, Líf Magneudóttir, told RÚV;
“Even though he is the mayor now, that doesn’t mean he has the upper hand to lead majority negotiations. He doesn’t have a plan, but he’s never had a plan as a mayor either.”
Others—such as Hildur Björnsdóttir, leader of the Independence Party, and Stefán Pálsson, deputy mayor of the Left Greens—expressed that they had become suspicious the coalition would end soon. Among other things, problems on the City Council included an alliance between the Independence Party and the Progressive Party, which made for difficult negotiating and friction between individuals.
On the other hand, leader of the Pirate Party at City Council, Dóra Björt Guðjónsdóttir, believes the mayor’s decision to end the partnership is related to his poor performance in recent opinion polls;
“The follow-up hasn’t been as good as it could have been for some people, and that’s what I see in this. It’s hot in the kitchen and the chef has to put up with it.”
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