Changes in the coming days

“I don’t exclude anything about the future,” Bjarni Benediktsson, chairman of the Independence Party and the outgoing Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, told Morgunbladid last night about whether he will continue to be in the government, rather than in another ministry.

“I made one decision yesterday and I have yet to make a number of other decisions, but I do not rule out the possibility of staying in the government,” Benediktsson says, and leaves it at that at this point.

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Benediktsson resigns as Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs

Benediktsson resigned from his post at a press conference yesterday morning due to the Ombudsman’s opinion on the sale of the government’s stake in Íslandsbanki. He expressed his dismay at the Ombudsman’s decision and was deeply saddened by the fact that he had failed to fulfill his duties in the sale process. He disagreed, but he respected the Ombudsman’s opinion, which made it impossible for him to continue working in the Ministry of Finance.

Shifting of ministries in the works?

A second Finance Minister must be appointed by the weekend, when the State Council is to be held in Bessastadir.

In this context, many have mentioned that Benediktsson and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, could change ministries, but she is said to be reluctant to do so because of important and sensitive international projects. It may therefore be appropriate to consider other changes to the ministerial team.

The newspaper reports that both the Progressives and the Left-Greens have raised the idea of a larger changes in the government in the middle of the term, even with the change up of ministries between the parties. In this context, it will also have been discussed how to deal with any negative opinion the Ombudsman expressed about the administration of any other minister.

There is no doubt that there is a desire for some of these changes, and it is mentioned that they include the Ministry of Food and the Ministry of Environment.

Showing cracks in the coalition?

Yesterday, the parliamentary parties of the Left Green Movement and the Progressive Party sent a strong message to the Independence Party that they want to continue the coalition, regardless of Benediktsson’s decision or any changes that might result.

However, it was recognized that there were some problems in the governance coalition, which it was necessary to solve and smooth out if the government was to have a realistic chance to deal with such challenges as inflation, labour market turbulence and other pressing issues.

For these reasons, the parties will use the next few days to refine the main focus of government and strengthen the morale of the ruling parties. This will include an attempt to map out what is causing the greatest distress in the minds of men and how to soothe those concerns "immediately," as one member of the ruling parties put it.

The previously scheduled joint session of the parliamentary parties of the ruling coalition on Friday will no doubt be a memorable one.