Businesswoman Halla Tomasdottir, elected new president of Iceland

June 2 () –

Businesswoman Halla Tomasdottir has been elected as the new president of Iceland and will succeed Gudni Johanneson in the mainly ceremonial role.

Tomasdottir’s main rival, former Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, has already congratulated her rival. Tomasdottir has obtained 34.3 percent of the votes compared to the 25.2 percent of the former head of Government, according to the practically definitive results collected by the Icelandic public broadcaster RUV.

Tomasdottir will play a role considered as a unifier and guarantor of the Constitution, with certain powers such as the power to veto legislation or submit it to a referendum.

The veto is highly unusual and one of the last in memory dates back to 2010, when then-president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson refused to sign an agreement committing Iceland to repay British and Dutch depositors affected by the collapse of the Icesave bank.

The electoral campaign has not been marked by a central issue — the debates have been divided between the war in Ukraine, the relationship with NATO and the aforementioned veto powers — and the elections, themselves, are especially valued as an expression of pure democracy.

Candidates, by tradition, present themselves as independents, without party affiliations, and any citizen who gathers 1,500 signatures can run for office.