Left-Green Leader Katrín Jakobsdóttir has returned her mandate to form a government in Iceland. She believes Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, must assemble, even though no government has been formed.
At a press conference at Bessastaðir, the presidential residence, President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson stated he contacted the leaders of all parties with representation in parliament by phone this morning.
For now, he has decided not to give the leader of any one party the mandate to form a government. Informal negotiations between parties are ongoing, he stated, and all options are being evaluated.
During the telephone conversations this morning, Guðni asked party leaders to be aware of the responsibility they have to make every effort to form a government, and stressed that ruling out cooperation with other parties was not a viable option for any party. He alluded to having assurances that progress is being made in informal negotiations.
He stated he was not certain Alþingi would convene next week or the week thereafter, but that it would have to do so before Christmas.
Guðni did not rule out the possibility of a minority government.
