Pirate Captain’s mafia gaffe

Birgitta Jónsdóttir, head of Iceland's Pirate Party,

Birgitta Jónsdóttir, head of Iceland's Pirate Party, Photo: Ómar Óskarsson

Flateyri in Iceland’s West Fjords was chosen as ‘Paris of the North’ in Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson’s 2014 film of the same name, but is Skagafjörður the Sicily of the North – and not in a good way?

This was, at least, the suggestion of Birgitta Jónsdóttir, head of Iceland’s Pirate Party, in a Facebook status of hers a couple of weeks ago.

Undue influence in EU decision

The comparison between Skagafjörður – a deep fjord in Northern Iceland – and Sicily (associated by many with the Italian criminal mafia organisation Cosa Nostra) caused more than a few raised eyebrows back in the northern municipality.

The accusation stems from the interpretation of some commentators that the Icelandic government’s recent decision to end the country’s process of joining the European Union (EU) was taken to safeguard the sectional interests of the Cooperative Society and inhabitants of Skagafjörður.

Increased lamb and mackerel exports from Skagafjörður to Russia have led some to the conclusion that the municipality may have exerted undue pressure on the political process regarding Iceland’s EU membership.

“Utterly unacceptable and wholly inappropriate”

The Municipal Council of Skagafjörður responded officially on Friday by expressing their “surprise and utter disapproval” at Jónsdóttir’s remarks. “To imply that Skagafjörður is a mafia society thriving on crime and criminal activity is utterly unacceptable and wholly inappropriate for an MP or indeed anybody else. […] We hereby demand a public apology for these remarks.”

Jónsdóttir immediately obliged with a full apology on her Facebook page on Saturday.

Related article:

'Skagafjörður is the Sicily of Iceland', claimed Jónsdóttir.

'Skagafjörður is the Sicily of Iceland', claimed Jónsdóttir.

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