Iceland’s cabinet met at the presidential residence Bessastadir at noon today where new ministers were announced: Gudbjartur Hannesson of the Social Democrats will lead a new Welfare Ministry and Ögmundur Jónasson of the Left-Greens a new Ministry for Internal Affairs.
Bessastadir, the presidential residence, where the new ministers were announced. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
According to ruv.is, changes to the position of ministers from the ranks of the Social Democrats were decided only two hours before the meeting at Bessastadir and the party’s members were not in agreement on these changes.
Four ministers will step down from the cabinet: outgoing Minister of Health Álfheidur Ingadóttir of the Left-Greens and Minister of Transport Kristján L. Möller of the Social Democrats, and the independent ministers Gylfi Magnússon, who chaired the Ministry of Economics Affairs, and Ragna Árnadóttir, who served as Minister of Justice.
Árni Páll Árnason, who served as Minister of Social Affairs, will take over the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Jónasson will take over the projects of the Ministry of Justice and Transport in the new Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will be merged in Hannesson’s new Ministry of Welfare.
Ministers from the ranks of the Social Democrats:
Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Össur Skarphédinsson.
Minister of Economic Affairs Árni Páll Árnason.
Minister of Welfare Gudbjartur Hannesson.
Minister of Industry Katrín Júlíusdóttir.
Ministers from the ranks of the Left-Greens:
Minister of Finance Steingrímur J. Sigfússon.
Minister for Internal Affairs Ögmundur Jónasson.
Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Jón Bjarnason.
Minister for the Environment Svandís Svavarsdóttir.
Minister of Education Katrín Jakobsdóttir.
The exchange of keys will take place in the afternoon.
Click here to read more about the changes to Iceland’s cabinet.
