Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir intends to evaluate the government’s strength and its ability to tackle important issues following the resignation of Left-Green MPs Atli Gíslason and Lilja Mósesdóttir from the coalition yesterday.
Prime Minister of Iceland Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir. Photo by Páll Kjartansson.
“The government doesn’t have to become weaker after their resignation. At least we have carried our matters through so far, even though they have not been supported by everyone within the Left-Greens,” the PM said last night, according to visir.is.
When asked whether she is planning to take measures to strengthen the coalition, Sigurdardóttir said it isn’t timely to discuss that.
“There are many large projects ahead where we need a solid majority. Not least of which are employment issues and how we will succeed in enhancing economic growth, fisheries control and other issues,” she said.
“I will talk with the Left-Green chairman [Minister of Finance Steingrímur J. Sigfússon] as soon as possible to review the situation that has come up and discuss whether there is a reason to take special measures,” the PM added.
Some MPs within the Social Democrat parliamentary party are of the opinion that the coalition with the Left-Greens should be terminated and that a new coalition should be forged with the Independence Party. Still, most Social Democrat MPs support continued cooperation with the Left-Greens.
There are different opinions within the two parties on how to approach employment development, the membership talks with the European Union and changes to the fisheries control system.
When asked whether new parliamentary elections might be necessary, Sigurdardóttir replied, “I don’t believe people want new elections now when we are mid-way through large projects such as making wage agreements […]. But it isn’t out of the question that it might happen later in the term.”
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