Johanna Sigurdardottir, the 66-year-old former airline hostess, becomes Iceland’s new prime minister, Veteran MP set to become the first female leader of Iceland, and first openly gay prime minister in the world.
A new government was formed in Iceland yesterday, with Johanna Sigurdardottir appointed as the prime minister, the first woman to hold this position in the country, according to reports reaching here from Reykjavik.
Sigurdardottir, a Social Democrat, will join hands with new finance minister Steingrimur Sigfusson, leader of her party’s coalition partner the Left-Green Party, to try to dig the country out of a deep economic crisis.
The two parties will lead an interim government until a snap election is held, Iceland President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson was quoted as saying by the Icelandic newspaper Morgunbladid.
“We live in difficult times and need to restructure the Icelandic economy and adopt new values,” Sigurdardottir said at a Sunday press conference.
“The new coalition will focus on restarting the economy and protecting the households. The new coalition will emphasize a responsible economic management and undertake many projects in a short period of time,” she promised, adding that the agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be honored and the new government is dedicated to cooperation with the IMF.