The appointment of Gréta Björg Egilsdóttir as the Progressive Party’s deputy representative on Reykjavík’s Human Rights Council was approved yesterday after the party withdrew its controversial appointment of Gústaf Níelsson shortly after it was announcement last month, visir.is reports.
Gústaf’s appointment was widely protested, including by Progressive Party members, among them Minister of Social Affairs Eygló Harðardóttir and Minister for Foreign Affairs Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson.
Gústaf is a member of the Independence Party and is also among those who has ‘liked’ the Facebook page of PEGIDA in Iceland, an organization fighting the ‘Islamization of Europe.’ He has also publicly declared his opposition to gay marriage and the adoption of children by same-sex couples.
Sigurður Björn Blöndal, chair of the City Council, said that it had been irresponsible of the Progressive Party to appoint Gústaf in the Human Rights Council.
Gréta Björg stressed that she does not have the same opinions as Gústaf.
