Iceland travel review mixes up President and gay PM

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President 1980-96.

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President 1980-96. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Kristinn Ingvarsson

Heightened interest in Iceland over the past few weeks has generated a slew of articles about Iceland, some not entirely properly fact-checked.

Perhaps the most amusing is yesterday’s article in the Travel section of the online Telegraph entitled ‘ 29 reasons why Iceland is incredible ’. No 27 is indeed incredible.

Photo: Screenshot Telegraph

The article appears to mix up Icelandic politicians, stating that Iceland’s President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir – who ruled Iceland 1980-96 – is, in fact, a lesbian.

The first sentence is essentially correct – Finnbogadóttir was the world’s first democratically elected female president.

The second sentence, however, must refer to Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Iceland’s Prime Minister from 2009 to 2013, who was indeed the world’s openly gay head of government.

MORE: Iceland’s first female PM: “Brexit a mistake”

MORE: 35 years ago: Vigdís becomes President

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir.

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Ómar Óskarsson

Weather

Partly cloudy

Today

3 °C

Clear sky

Tomorrow

3 °C

Clear sky

Saturday

2 °C