Will the Progressive Party Lead the Next Government?

The Progressive Party remains the country’s largest, according to a new survey, made by the University of Iceland Social Science Research Institute for daily newspaper Morgunblaðið, April 2 to April 8.

Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, who chairs the Progressive Party. Photo: Páll Kjartansson/Iceland Review.

Respondents were asked which party they are planning to vote in the upcoming election in two-and-half week’s time.

The Progressive Party is on the run and will be the biggest party in Iceland for the first time in its history, with support of 30.9 percent and 24 parliamentarians out of 63. In the last election, four years ago, the Progressive Party got 14.8 percent of votes.

The second largest party is the Independence Party with 18.9 percent support and 13 parliamentarians. In the last elections the party got 23.7 percent, which was its lowest rate since Iceland became independent 69 years ago.

Number three in the poll the Social Democratic Alliance, the biggest party of last election when it had the support of 29.8 percent of voters. Now 12.6 percent are planning to vote the party, resulting in nine parliamentarians.

Number four in the poll was the new party Bright Future, which has a support of 10.9 percent, which would result in seven parliamentarians.

The fifth largest party, according to the poll, is the Left Green Movement with 8.8 percent and six parliamentarians. In the last election, the party got 21.7 percent of votes.

The last party to break the 5-percent barrier needed to have parliamentarians elected to Alþingi is the new Pirate Party with 5.6 percent support and four candidates claiming a seat in parliament.

No other party is close to getting elected but up to 14 parties will be on the ballot in the general election on April 27.

The results in this poll are based on the response of 1,800 voters contacted at random by telephone and an online survey sent to 1,900 people who are in the institute’s panel group.

The response rate was 61 percent. Of those who responded, 82 percent named a party.

27.03.2013 | Progressive Party Largest Political Party in Iceland