Progressive Party (Iceland)

The Progressive Party (Icelandic: Framsóknarflokkurinn, FSF) is an agrarian political party in Iceland.^[1][2][3]

Progressive Party Framsóknarflokkurinn
Chairperson	Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
Vice-chairperson	Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir
Chairperson of the municipal council	Elín Líndal
Founded	16 December 1916
Merger of	Farmers' Party Independent Farmers
Headquarters	Hverfisgata 33, 101 Reykjavík
Youth wing	Association of Young People in the Progressive Party
Ideology	Agrarianism (Nordic)[5] Liberalism[7] Liberal conservatism[4]
Political position	Centre[9] to centre-right[10]
International affiliation	Liberal International
Nordic affiliation	Centre Group
Colours	Green
Seats in Parliament	13 / 63
Election symbol
Website
xb.is
Politics of Iceland Political parties Elections

For most of its history, the Progressive Party has governed with the Independence Party. Since 30 November 2017, the party has been a coalition partner in the Bjarni Benediktsson government. The current chairman of the party is Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson who was elected on 2 October 2016. His predecessor was Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, who was elected on 18 January 2009 and was Prime Minister of Iceland from 23 May 2013 to 5 April 2016.

Throughout most of the 20th century, the party identified on the centre-left on the Icelandic political spectrum. Tryggvi Þórhallsson, Jónas Jónsson, Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, Hermann Jónasson, Eysteinn Jónsson, Ólafur Jóhannesson and Steingrímur Hermannsson were prominent figures and the leaders of the party from the 1920s to the 1990s, who all were left-wing and even socialist.^[11] However, with Halldór Ásgrímsson taking over as leader in 1994, the party emerged as a centre to centre-right party, with focus on rural areas, with the two most recent leaders, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson and Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson identifying as right-wing.^[12]

History

The Progressive Party was founded to represent Iceland's farmer class, which went from being dominant from settlement to the late 19th century to rapidly dwindling in the early 20th century as a result of industrialization and urbanization. Its primary support still comes from the rural areas of Iceland and its policy roots still stem from its origin as an agrarian party, although it has since come to self-identify as a liberal party, though this is disputed outside of the party. It was founded in 1916 as a merger of two agrarian parties,^[13] the Farmers' Party (Bændaflokkur) and the Independent Farmers (Óháðir bændur). In 1956 the party almost agreed to an aborted merger with the Social Democratic Party.^[14] Throughout Iceland's history as a self-governing and independent nation, the Progressive Party has most often been the second largest political party in the country.^[15] It has often joined government coalitions with either the Independence Party on the centre-right, or with centre-left parties.^[16] During the period 1927–1990, the Progressive Party held the prime minister post for thirty years and spent more than two-thirds of the time in coalition government.^[15]

1970s

Following the 1971 parliamentary election, the Progressive Party formed a government with the People's Alliance and Union of Liberals and Leftists, with Progressive Party chairman Ólafur Jóhannesson serving as prime minister.^[17]

The 1974 parliamentary election led to a coalition government of the Independence Party and Progressive Party led by Geir Hallgrímsson.^[17]

The 1978 parliamentary election returned Ólafur Jóhannesson to the role of prime minister, leading a coalition containing the Progressive Party, People's Alliance and Social Democratic Party after two months of coalition negotiations.^[17]

The snap 1979 parliamentary election caused by the withdrawal of the Social Democrats from government led to a new government being formed in February 1980 by the Independence Party of Prime Minister Gunnar Thoroddsen, Progressive Party and People's Alliance.^[17]

1980s

The 1983 parliamentary election resulted in Progressive Party leader Steingrímur Hermannsson becoming prime minister in coalition with the Independence Party.^[17]

The 1987 parliamentary election in May saw a coalition being formed in July of that year led by Thorsteinn Pálsson of the Independence Party, with the Progressive Party and Social Democratic Party as junior partners. However, in September 1988, a new government was formed by the Progressive Party's Steingrímur Hermannsson with the Social Democrats and People's Alliance.^[17]

1990s

Following the 1991 parliamentary election, the Progressive Party was in opposition, with the government being formed by Independence Party leader Davíð Oddsson.^[17]

In the 1995 parliamentary election, Davíð Oddsson remained as prime minister, with the Progressive Party returning to government as junior coalition partner to the Independence Party, a coalition which continued after the 1999 election.^[17]

2000s

In the 2003 parliamentary election, the Progressive Party received 17.2% of the vote and 12 seats in the Althing.^[2] On 15 September 2004, Halldór Ásgrímsson of the Progressive Party took over as prime minister from Davíð Oddsson.^[2] Halldór Ásgrímsson announced his intention to resign on 5 June 2006 following the party's poor results in the 2006 municipal elections. The coalition remained allied with the Independence Party chairman, Geir H. Haarde, as prime minister. The Progressive Party leader Jón Sigurðsson was Minister of Industry and Commerce, until a coalition of the Independence Party and the Social Democratic Alliance took over after the elections in 2007.

In the 2007 parliamentary election, the party dropped five seats to hold only seven seats, down from twelve. The coalition only held a one-seat majority in the Althing, and the Independence Party formed a coalition government with the Social Democratic Alliance with the deal being signed on 22 May, returning the Progressive Party to the opposition. When a centre-left minority government was formed in February 2009, in the wake of the 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis, the Progressive Party agreed to defend it from a no-confidence vote, but did not form part of the governing coalition.^[18]

In January 2009, it decided to change its party line on joining the European Union (EU) from being opposed to being in favour of EU accession, but with very strong caveats.^[19][20] The party later changed its policy to one of firm opposition to EU membership.^[21] In the wake of the 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis, the Progressive Party became more populist. According to political scientist Eiríkur Bergmann, "a completely renewed leadership took over the country’s old agrarian party, the Progressive Party (Framsóknarflokkurinn— PP), which was rapidly retuned in a more populist direction; geared against foreign creditors, international institutions and eventually partly towards anti- Muslim rhetoric, which until then had been absent in the country—there is no significant Muslim minority in Iceland. Under the new post-crisis leader- ship, the Progressive Party thus moved closer to populist parties in Europe."^[22]

In the 2009 parliamentary election, the Progressive Party fared somewhat better, securing 14.8% of the vote, and increasing its number of seats from seven to nine. It remained in opposition, however, with a centre-left coalition of the Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Green Movement continuing to govern with an increased majority.^[23]

2010s

In the 2013 parliamentary election, the Progressive Party reached second place nationally, winning 24.4% of the vote and 19 seats. Following the election, a centre-right coalition government was formed between the Progressive Party and Independence Party, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson of the Progressive Party appointed as prime minister.^[24] Sigmundur Davíð was ousted as leader of the party shortly after he was implicated in scandal and ethical quandaries in the Panama Papers release.^[25]

The Progressive Party split in 2017 when Sigmundur Davíð created his own party, the Centre Party (Miðflokkurinn).^[26]

2020s

After the 2021 parliamentary election, the new government was, just like the previous government, a tri-party coalition of the Independence Party, the Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement, headed by Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir of Left-Green Movement.^[27]

Electoral results

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position	Government
1919	3,115	22.2	11 / 40	11	3rd	Opposition
1923	8,062	26.6	15 / 42	4	2nd	Coalition
1927	9,532	29.8	19 / 42	4	1st	Coalition
1931	13,844	35.9	23 / 42	4	1st	Majority
1933	8,530	23.9	17 / 42	6	2nd	Coalition
1934	11,377	21.9	15 / 49	2	2nd	Coalition
1937	14,556	24.9	19 / 49	4	1st	Minority
1942 (Jul)	16,033	27.6	20 / 49	1	1st	Opposition
1942 (Oct)	15,869	26.6	15 / 52	5	2nd	Opposition
1946	15,429	23.1	13 / 52	2	2nd	Opposition
1949	17,659	24.5	17 / 52	4	2nd	Opposition
1953	16,959	21.9	16 / 52	1	2nd	Coalition
1956	12,925	15.6	17 / 52	1	2nd	Coalition
1959 (Jun)	23,061	27.2	19 / 52	2	2nd	Opposition
1959 (Oct)	21,882	25.7	17 / 60	2	2nd	Opposition
1963	25,217	28.2	19 / 60	2	2nd	Opposition
1967	27,029	28.1	18 / 60	1	2nd	Opposition
1971	26,645	25.3	17 / 60	1	2nd	Coalition
1974	28,381	24.9	17 / 60	0	2nd	Coalition
1978	20,656	16.9	12 / 60	5	4th	Coalition
1979	30,861	24.9	17 / 60	5	2nd	Opposition
1983	24,754	18.5	14 / 60	3	2nd	Coalition
1987	28,902	18.9	13 / 63	1	2nd	Coalition
1991	29,866	18.9	13 / 63	0	2nd	Opposition
1995	38,485	23.3	15 / 63	2	2nd	Coalition
1999	30,415	18.4	12 / 63	3	3rd	Coalition
2003	32,484	17.7	12 / 63	0	3rd	Coalition
2007	21,350	11.7	7 / 63	5	4th	Opposition
2009	27,699	14.8	9 / 63	2	4th	Opposition
2013	46,173	24.4	19 / 63	10	2nd	Coalition
2016	21,791	11.5	8 / 63	11	4th	Opposition
2017	21,016	10.7	8 / 63	0	4th	Coalition
2021	34,501	17.3	13 / 63	5	2nd	Coalition

Members of Parliament

Since the elections in 2021, the Progressive Party has thirteen members of parliament.^[28]

Member of Parliament		Since	Title	Constituency
Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson		2009	Party Chair Minister of Infrastructure	South
Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir		2016	Party Vice-chair Minister of Culture and Business	Reykjavik South
Ásmundur Einar Daðason		2017	Party Secretary Minister of Education and Children affairs	Reykjavik North
Willum Þór Þórsson		2017	Minister of Health	Southwest
Ingibjörg Isaksen		2021	Leader of the Parliamentary Group	Northeast
Stefán Vagn Stefánsson		2021		Northwest
Lilja Rannveig Sigurgeirsdóttir		2021		Northwest
Halla Signý Kristjánsdóttir		2017		Northwest
Jóhann Friðrik Friðriksson		2021		South
Hafdís Hrönn Hafsteinsdóttir		2021		South
Ágúst Bjarni Garðarsson		2021		Southwest
Líneik Anna Sævarsdóttir		2017		Northeast
Þórarinn Ingi Pétursson		2021		Northeast

Leadership

Nº	Chairman		Took office	Left office	Prime Ministry
1		Ólafur Briem (1851–1925)	1916	1920
2		Sveinn Ólafsson (1863–1949)	1920	1922
3		Þorleifur Jónsson (1864–1956)	1922	1928
4		Tryggvi Þórhallsson (1889–1935)	1928	1932	1927-1932
5		Ásgeir Ásgeirsson (1894–1972)	1932	1933	1932-1934
6		Sigurður Kristinsson (1880–1963)	1933	1934
7		Jónas Jónsson (1885–1968)	1934	1944
8		Hermann Jónasson (1896–1976)	1944	1962	1934-1942, 1956-1958
9		Eysteinn Jónsson (1906–1993)	1962	1968
10		Ólafur Jóhannesson (1913–1984)	1968	1979	1971-1974, 1978-1979
11		Steingrímur Hermannsson (1928–2010)	1979	1994	1983-1987, 1988-1991
12		Halldór Ásgrímsson (1947–2015)	1994	2006	2004-2006
13		Jón Sigurðsson (1946-2021)	2006	2007
14		Guðni Ágústsson (born 1949)	2007	2008
15		Valgerður Sverrisdóttir (born 1950)	2008	2009
16		Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson (born 1975)	2009	2016	2013-2016
17		Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson (born 1962)	2016	Present	2016-2017

Members of the party who served as prime minister but not as leader

Prime Minister		Took office	Left office
	Steingrímur Steinþórsson (1893–1966)	1950	1953

See also

• Independence Party (Iceland)
• Nordic agrarian parties
• Liberalism in Europe
• Liberalism worldwide
• List of liberal parties

References

1. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2017). "Iceland". Parties and Elections in Europe.
2. Svante Ersson; Jan-Erik Lane (1999). Politics and Society in Western Europe. SAGE. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-7619-5862-8. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
3. Christina Bergqvist (1999). Christina Bergqvist (ed.). Equal Democracies?: Gender and Politics in the Nordic Countries. Nordic Council of Ministers. p. 320. ISBN 978-82-00-12799-4.
4. "Wahlcheck: Das wollen Islands Parteien". Deutsch-Isländische Gesellschaft Bremerhaven/Bremen. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
5. ^[1][2][3][4]
6. Gunnar Karlsson (2000). Iceland's 1100 Years: The History of a Marginal Society. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. p. 303. ISBN 978-1-85065-420-9.
7. ^[2][6]
8. "Politics in Iceland: A beginner's guide".
9. ^[1][8]
10. "Elections '17: Who Are Iceland's Political Parties & Who Will Lead Next?". The Reykjavík Grapevine. 30 October 2017.
11. "Eru Vinstri græn hin nýja Framsókn?". miðjan.is (in Icelandic). 26 August 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
12. "Vg er að ná gömlu lykilstöðu framsóknar". www.hringbraut.is. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
13. Hans Slomp (2011). Europe, A Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics [2 volumes]: An American Companion to European Politics. ABC-CLIO. p. 680. ISBN 978-0-313-39182-8.
14. Nick Sitter; Agnes Batory (2008). "Protectionism, Populism or Participation?". In Aleks Szczerbiak; Paul Taggart (eds.). Opposing Europe?: The Comparative Party Politics of Euroscepticism: Volume 2: Comparative and Theoretical Perspectives. OUP Oxford. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-0-19-925835-2.
15. Gunnar Helgi Kristinsson (2017). "The Icelandic Progressive Party: Trawling for the Town Vote?". In David Arter (ed.). From Farmyard to City Square? The Electoral Adaptation of the Nordic Agrarian Parties. doi:10.4324/9781315254937. ISBN 9781315254937.
16. Eiríkur Bergmann Einarsson (2014). Iceland and the International Financial Crisis: Boom, Bust and Recovery. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-137-33200-4.
17. Europa Publications (2003). A Political Chronology of Europe. Routledge. pp. 116–118. ISBN 978-1-135-35687-3.
18. "Iceland's Government Discusses Continued Coalition". Iceland Review Online. 27 April 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
19. Baldur Thorhallsson (2013). "The Icelandic Crash and its Consequences: A Small State without Economic and Political Shelter". In Anders Wivel; Robert Steinmetz (eds.). Small States in Europe: Challenges and Opportunities. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 211. ISBN 978-1-4094-9958-9.
20. Progressives support Iceland EU entry Archived 14 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine IceNews, 17 January 2009
21. Progressive Party General Meeting: No to EU Iceland Review Online. 9 February 2013. Accessed 14 March 2013
22. Bergmann, Eirikur (1 January 2017). "Iceland: Ever-Lasting Independence Struggle". Nordic Nationalism and Right-Wing Populist Politics. Palgrave Macmillan UK. pp. 93–124. doi:10.1057/978-1-137-56703-1_4. ISBN 9781137567024.
23. "Iceland's PM: Optimistic after Talks with Left-Greens". Iceland Review Online. Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
24. "New Government Divvies Up The Ministries". The Reykjavík Grapevine. 22 May 2013. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
25. grapevine.is (3 October 2016). "Sigmundur Davíð Unseated As Progressive Chair - The Reykjavik Grapevine". The Reykjavik Grapevine. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
26. grapevine.is (29 September 2017). "Elections 2017: Disgraced Former PM Out-Polling Party He Left - The Reykjavik Grapevine". The Reykjavik Grapevine. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
27. "New Government of Iceland Takes Office". Iceland Monitor. 29 November 2021.
28. "Framsóknarflokkurinn". Alþingi (in Icelandic). Retrieved 8 November 2022.

External links

• Progressive Party official site