Árni Thór Sigurdsson, vice-chairman of the Left-Green Movement’s parliamentary group, said the position of Minister of Economic Affairs Gylfi Magnússon (pictured) is being discussed in light of his comments on foreign currency loans last year.
Magnússon is accused of having distracted the discussion on the legality of the foreign currency loans, which were deemed illegal by the Supreme Court of Iceland in June, when asked about them in parliament last year.
“If someone misunderstood me it was not my intention and I must apologize for that,” Magnússon told Morgunbladid of his answer in parliament.
Magnússon discussed the criticism he has been subject to with Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir and Minister of Finance Steingrímur J. Sigurdsson on Friday. MPs of the political party The Movement have demanded his resignation.
The minister said he will not resign because of this matter, although he is “not going to hang onto the ministerial office like a dog on fish skin” either. Magnússon explained that he had agreed to take a seat in the government as a temporary position.
“People are looking into Gylfi’s affairs, whether it might have been clear that the foreign currency ‘basket’ loans were illegal last year and what that would have changed. This matter is being discussed with the government’s position and the overall debate in mind,” Sigurdsson told Morgunbladid.
The parliamentary group of the Left-Greens will meet tomorrow and on Wednesday and Sigurdsson said it is “not at all unlikely” that Magnússon’s position will be discussed during those meetings.
The parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Alliance, the other coalition party in Iceland’s government, will meet with Magnússon today.
“Many things will presumably come up,” said Thórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir, chairwoman of the Social Democrats’ parliamentary group, adding that the debate around Magnússon’s comments is not the reason for the meeting.
He and Minister of Justice Ragna Árnadóttir, who is also an independent minister, are asked to attend meetings with the parliamentary group of the Social Democrats every now and then, Sveinbjarnardóttir explained.
Minister of Education Katrín Jakobsdóttir, who is vice-chair of the Left-Greens, will also meet with the Social Democrats today to discuss the affairs of the universities.
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