Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Katrín Jakobsdóttir | |
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28th Prime Minister of Iceland | |
Assumed office 30 November 2017 | |
President | Guðni Th. Jóhannesson |
Preceded by | Bjarni Benediktsson |
Chair of the Left-Green Movement | |
Assumed office 24 February 2013 | |
Preceded by | Steingrímur J. Sigfússon |
Minister of Education, Science and Culture | |
In office 2 February 2009 – 23 May 2013 | |
Prime Minister | Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir |
Preceded by | Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir |
Succeeded by | Illugi Gunnarsson |
Personal details | |
Born |
Reykjavík, Iceland | 1 February 1976
Political party | Left-Green Movement |
Spouse(s) | Gunnar Örn Sigvaldason |
Children | 3 sons |
Alma mater | University of Iceland |
Katrín Jakobsdóttir (pronounced [ˈkʰaːtʰrin ˈjaːkʰɔpstouhtɪr]; born 1 February 1976) is an Icelandic politician serving as the 28th and current Prime Minister of Iceland since 2017. She is the member of the Althing for the Reykjavík North constituency since 2007. She became deputy chairperson of the Left-Green Movement in 2003 and has been their chairperson since 2013. Katrín was Iceland's Minister of Education, Science and Culture and of Nordic Co-operation from 2 February 2009 to 23 May 2013.[1] She is Iceland's second female prime minister after Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir.
Education and professional life
Katrín was born in Reykjavík. She graduated from the University of Iceland in 1999 with a bachelor degree with a major in Icelandic and minor in French. She received her M.A. in Icelandic Literature from the same university in 2004 for a thesis on the work of popular Icelandic crime writer Arnaldur Indriðason.[1]
She worked part-time as a language adviser at the news agency at public broadcaster RÚV 1999-2003. She then freelanced for broadcast media and wrote for a variety of print media from 2004 to 2006, as well as being an instructor in lifelong learning and leisure at the Mímir School 2004-2007. She did editorial work for the publishing company Edda and magazine JPV from 2005 to 2006 and was a Lecturer at the University of Iceland, Reykjavík University and Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík from 2006 to 2007.[2]
Prime Minister (2017–present)
In the wake of the 2017 Icelandic parliamentary election, President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson tasked Katrín with forming a governing coalition to consist of the Left-Green Movement, the Progressive Party, the Social Democratic Alliance, and the Pirate Party.[3] Coalition talks between the four parties formally began on 3 November 2017,[4] but were unsuccessful because of Progressive Party concerns that her coalition would have too thin a majority.[5] As a result, she sought to lead a three-party coalition with the Independence Party and Progressive Party. After coalition talks were completed, President Guðni formally granted Katrín a mandate to lead the government, which was installed on 30 November.[6][7] She is the second woman to serve as Prime Minister of Iceland.[8]
Personal life
Katrín is married to Gunnar Sigvaldason and the mother of three sons (born 2005, 2007 and 2011). She hails from a family which has produced many prominent people in Icelandic politics, academia and literature. She is the younger sister of twin brothers Ármann Jakobsson and Sverrir Jakobsson, who are both professors in the humanities at the University of Iceland. Katrín is the great-granddaughter of the politician and judge Skúli Thoroddsen and the poet Theódóra Thoroddsen, and granddaughter of the engineer and MP Sigurður S. Thoroddsen. The poet Dagur Sigurðarson is her maternal uncle.[1]
International cooperation
Katrín has been a member of the following committees:[1]
- Icelandic Delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (since 2017)
- Icelandic Delegation to the EFTA and EEA Parliamentary Committees (2014–2016)
- EU-Iceland joint Parliamentary Committee (Deputy Chair 2014–2016)
- Icelandic delegation to the West Nordic Council (2013–2014)
References
- 1 2 3 4 Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Secretariat of Althingi, retrieved 31 January 2009
- ↑ "Katrín Jakobsdóttir". Alþingi (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2017-12-09.
- ↑ "Katrín komin með umboðið". Morgunblaðið. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ↑ Sigurður Bogi Sævarsson (3 November 2017). "Málefnunum skipt í tvennt". Morgunblaðið. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ↑ "Iceland's leftist parties fail to form government". Yahoo/AFP. 2017-11-06. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
- ↑ "Iceland's Left-Green leader Jakobsdóttir becomes new PM". BBC News. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
- ↑ Jón Pétur Jónsson (28 November 2017). "Katrín fær stjórnarmyndunarumboðið". Morgunblaðið. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
- ↑ "Johanna Sigurdardottir | prime minister of Iceland". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
External links
Party political offices | ||
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Preceded by Steingrímur J. Sigfússon |
Chair of the Left-Green Movement 2013–present |
Incumbent |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir |
Minister of Education, Science and Culture 2009–2013 |
Succeeded by Illugi Gunnarsson |
Preceded by Bjarni Benediktsson |
Prime Minister of Iceland 2017–present |
Incumbent |