Reykjavik, Iceland:
Iceland on Sunday became the initial nation in Europe to have more girls than males in parliament, a day soon after a basic election that saw the left-correct coalition win a clear majority.
Of the 63 seats in the Althing parliament, 33 have been won by girls, or 52 %, projections based on the final benefits showed on Sunday.
No other European nation has had more than 50 % girls lawmakers, with Sweden coming closest at 47 %, according to information compiled by the World Bank.
Around the world, 5 other nations at the moment have parliaments exactly where girls hold at least half the seats, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union: Rwanda (61 %), Cuba (53 %), Nicaragua (51 %) and Mexico and the United Arab Emirates (50 %).
Unlike some other nations, Iceland does not have legal quotas on female representation in parliament, although some parties do demand a minimum quantity of candidates be girls.
The Nordic nation has extended been a pioneer in gender equality and women’s rights, and has topped the World Economic Forum’s ranking of most egalitarian nations for the previous 12 years.
Iceland was the initial nation to elect a lady as president in 1980.
“I am 85, I’ve waited all my life for women to be in a majority… I am really happy,” Erdna, a Reykjavik resident, told AFP.
PM’s future in doubt
While Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir’s left-correct coalition won a majority in Saturday’s vote, it remained to be seen regardless of whether the 3 parties would continue to govern collectively.
The coalition has brought Iceland 4 years of stability soon after a decade of political crises, but Jakobsdottir’s Left-Green Movement emerged weakened soon after losing ground to its correct-wing partners, which each posted powerful showings.
The Left-Green Movement, the conservative Independence Party and the centre-correct Progressive Party collectively won 37 of 63 seats in parliament, up from the 33 they held just before the vote.
But the Left-Green Movement itself won only eight seats, 3 fewer than in 2017, raising queries about Jakobsdottir’s future as prime minister.
The biggest party remained the Independence Party, whose leader Bjarni Benediktsson — the existing finance minister and a former prime minister — has been eyeing Jakobsdottir’s job.
It won just about a quarter of votes and hung on to its 16 seats.
But the election’s major winner was the centre-correct Progressive Party, which gained 5 seats, to 13.
After 4 years of concessions on all sides to preserve the peace inside the coalition, it is conceivable that the two correct-wing parties may perhaps want to attempt to type a government devoid of the Left Greens.
Speaking to private broadcaster Stod 2 on Sunday, Jakobsdottir refused to be drawn on the coalition’s future discussions, saying only that her government had received “remarkable” assistance in the election.
Strange bedfellows
Progressive Party leader Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson and Independence Party leader Benediktsson meanwhile each mentioned Sunday they have been open to discussing a continuation of the coalition, citing voters’ powerful assistance.
Benediktsson told Stod 2 it was “normal for parties that have worked together for four years and had good personal relations” to attempt to continue collectively, but told public broadcaster RUV he wasn’t particular they would succeed.
He also would not necessarily push for the post of prime minister, he mentioned.
The uncommon coalition mixing left and correct came about soon after the 2017 elections, in a bid to bring stability to the nation soon after years of political upheaval.
Deep public distrust of politicians amid repeated scandals sent Icelanders to the polls 5 instances from 2007 to 2017.
This is only the second time given that 2008 that a government has made it to the finish of its 4-year mandate on the sprawling island, and the initial time given that 2003 that a government has retained its majority.
Broadly common throughout her 4-year term, Jakobsdottir has introduced a progressive earnings tax program, elevated the social housing spending budget and extended parental leave for each parents.
She has also been hailed for her handling of the Covid-19 crisis, with just 33 deaths in the nation of 370,000.
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