Prime Minister of Iceland

Prime Minister of Iceland
Prime Minister of Iceland
Forsætisráðherra Íslands (Icelandic)
	Coat of arms of Iceland
	Incumbent; Bjarni Benediktsson; since 9 April 2024
	Prime Minister's Office
Style	Mister Prime Minister (informal); His Excellency (diplomatic);
Member of	State Council of Iceland; Cabinet of Iceland;
Seat	Reykjavík, Iceland
Appointer	President
Term length	No term limit
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Iceland; Law on the Cabinet of Iceland;
Precursor	Minister for Iceland
Inaugural holder	Jón Magnússon
Formation	1 February 1904; 120 years ago
Salary	2,021,825 kr/US$ 14,038 monthly
Website	eng.forsaetisraduneyti.is (in English); forsaetisraduneyti.is (in Icelandic)

The prime minister of Iceland (Icelandic: Forsætisráðherra Íslands) is head of government of the Republic of Iceland. The prime minister is appointed formally by the president and exercises executive authority along with the cabinet subject to parliamentary support.

Constitutional basis

The prime minister is appointed by the president under the Constitution of Iceland, Section II Article 17, and chairs the Cabinet of Iceland:

Fundunum stjórnar sá ráðherra, er forseti lýðveldisins hefur kvatt til forsætis, og nefnist hann forsætisráðherra.^[2]

The [cabinet] meetings shall be presided over by the Minister called upon by the President of the Republic to do so, who is designated Prime Minister.^[3]

Locations

The prime minister's office is located in the Governing Council (Stjórnarráðið), Reykjavik, where their secretariat is based and where cabinet meetings are held.^[4] The prime minister has a summer residence, Þingvallabær in Þingvellir. The prime minister also has a reception house in Tjarnargata, Reykjavik, which was the prime ministerial residence until 1943.^[5]

Stjórnarráðið in Reykjavík, the Prime Minister's Office
Þingvallabær, the Prime Minister's summer residence

List of previous prime ministers

Home Rule (1904–1918)

No.	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Took office	Left office
1	Hannes Hafstein (1861–1922) MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla	1 February 1904	31 March 1909	Home Rule Party
2	Björn Jónsson (1846–1912) MP for Barðastrandarsýsla	31 March 1909	14 March 1911	Independence Party
3	Kristján Jónsson (1852–1926) MP for Borgarfjarðarsýsla	14 March 1911	24 July 1912	Independent
(1)	Hannes Hafstein (1861–1922) MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla	24 July 1912	21 July 1914	Union Party
4	Sigurður Eggerz (1875–1945) MP for West Skaftafellssýsla	21 July 1914	4 May 1915	Independence Party
5	Einar Arnórsson (1880–1955) MP for Árnessýsla	4 May 1915	4 January 1917	Independence Party (Langsum)

Kingdom (1918–1944)

Political party: Home Rule Independence Conservative Progressive Independent

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Term of office				Political Party		Cabinet	Election	Monarch (Reign)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	#	Took office	Left office	Days	Political Party		Cabinet	Election	Monarch (Reign)
6		Jón Magnússon (1859–1926) MP for Reykjavík until 1920 not in Parliament from 1920	1	4 January 1917	25 February 1920	1888		Home Rule Party	HP–IP–PP	Oct. 1916	Kristján X (1918–1944)
6			2	25 February 1920	7 March 1922	1888		Home Rule Party	HP–others	1919
(4)		Sigurður Eggerz (1875–1945) MP without constituency	1	7 March 1922	22 March 1924	746		Independence Party	IP–others	1919
(4)		Sigurður Eggerz (1875–1945) MP without constituency	1	7 March 1922	22 March 1924	746		Independence Party	IP–others	1923
(6)		Jón Magnússon (1859–1926) MP without constituency	3	22 March 1924	23 June 1926 (died)	823		Conservative Party	CP
7		Magnús Guðmundsson Acting (1879–1937) MP for Skagafjarðarsýsla	3	23 June 1926	8 July 1926	15		Conservative Party
8		Jón Þorláksson (1877–1935) MP without constituency	1	8 July 1926	28 August 1927	416		Conservative Party
9		Tryggvi Þórhallsson (1889–1935) MP for Strandasýsla	1	28 August 1927	3 June 1932	1741		Progressive Party	PP	1927
9		Tryggvi Þórhallsson (1889–1935) MP for Strandasýsla	1	28 August 1927	3 June 1932	1741		Progressive Party	PP	1931
10		Ásgeir Ásgeirsson (1894–1972) MP for West Ísafjarðarsýsla	1	3 June 1932	28 July 1934	785		Progressive Party	PP–IP–Peasants	1931
10			1	3 June 1932	28 July 1934	785		Progressive Party	PP–IP–Peasants	1933
11		Hermann Jónasson (1896–1976) MP for Strandasýsla	1	28 July 1934	16 May 1942	2849		Progressive Party	PP–SDP	1934
			2						PP	1937
			3						PP–IP–SDP
			4						PP–IP–SDP
12		Ólafur Thors (1892–1964) MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla	1	16 May 1942	16 December 1942	214		Independence Party	IP	Jul. 1942
12			1	16 May 1942	16 December 1942	214		Independence Party	IP	Oct. 1942
13		Björn Þórðarson (1879–1963) Not in Parliament	1	16 December 1942	21 October 1944	675		Independent		Oct. 1942

Republic (1944–present)

Political party: Independence Progressive Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Alliance Left-Green

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Term of office				Political Party	Cabinet	Election	President (term)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	#	Took Office	Left Office	Days	Political Party	Cabinet	Election	President (term)
(12)		Ólafur Thors (1892–1964) MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla	2	21 October 1944	4 February 1947	836	Independence Party	IP–SDP–SP	1946	Sveinn Björnsson (1944–1952)
14		Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson (1894–1980) MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla	1	4 February 1947	6 December 1949	1036	Social Democratic Party	IP–SDP–SP	1946
(12)		Ólafur Thors (1892–1964) MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla	3	6 December 1949	14 March 1950	98	Independence Party	IP	1949
15		Steingrímur Steinþórsson (1893–1966) MP for Skagafjarðarsýsla	1	14 March 1950	11 September 1953	1277	Progressive Party	PP–IP	1949
(12)		Ólafur Thors (1892–1964) MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla	4	11 September 1953	24 July 1956	1035	Independence Party	PP–IP	1953	Ásgeir Ásgeirsson (1952–1968)
(11)		Hermann Jónasson (1896–1976) MP for Strandasýsla	5	24 July 1956	23 December 1958	894	Progressive Party	PP–SDP–PA	1956
16		Emil Jónsson (1902–1986) MP for Hafnarfjörður	1	23 December 1958	20 November 1959	332	Social Democratic Party	SDP	Jun. 1959
(12)		Ólafur Thors (1892–1964) MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla	5	20 November 1959	8 September 1961	658	Independence Party	IP–SDP	Oct. 1959
17		Bjarni Benediktsson Acting (1908–1970) MP for Reykjavík		8 September 1961	31 December 1961	114	Independence Party
(12)		Ólafur Thors (1892–1964) MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla		1 January 1962	14 November 1963	682	Independence Party
(17)		Bjarni Benediktsson (1908–1970) MP for Reykjavík	1	14 November 1963	10 July 1970 (died)	2430	Independence Party		1963
(17)		Bjarni Benediktsson (1908–1970) MP for Reykjavík	1	14 November 1963	10 July 1970 (died)	2430	Independence Party		1967	Kristján Eldjárn (1968–1980)
18		Jóhann Hafstein (1915–1980) MP for Reykjavík	1	Acting: 10 July 10 October 1970	14 July 1971	369	Independence Party		1967
19		Ólafur Jóhannesson (1913–1984) MP for Northwestern	1	14 July 1971	28 August 1974	1141	Progressive Party	PP–PA–LL	1971
20		Geir Hallgrímsson (1925–1990) MP for Reykjavík	1	28 August 1974	1 September 1978	1465	Independence Party	IP–PP	1974
(19)		Ólafur Jóhannesson (1913–1984) MP for Northwestern	2	1 September 1978	15 October 1979	409	Progressive Party	PP–PA	1978
21		Benedikt Gröndal (1924–2010) MP for Reykjavík	1	15 October 1979	8 February 1980	116	Social Democratic Party	SDP	1979
22		Gunnar Thoroddsen (1910–1983) MP for Reykjavík	1	8 February 1980	26 May 1983	1203	Independence Party (*Gunnar's faction)	IP*–PP–PA	1979	Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (1980–1996)
23		Steingrímur Hermannsson (1928–2010) MP for Westfjords	1	26 May 1983	8 July 1987	1504	Progressive Party	PP–IP	1983
24		Þorsteinn Pálsson (born 1947) MP for Southern	1	8 July 1987	28 September 1988	448	Independence Party	IP–PP–SDP	1987
(23)		Steingrímur Hermannsson (1928–2010) MP for Reykjanes	2	28 September 1988	30 April 1991	944	Progressive Party	PP–SDP–PA
(23)		Steingrímur Hermannsson (1928–2010) MP for Reykjanes	3	28 September 1988	30 April 1991	944	Progressive Party	PP–SDP–PA–CiP
25		Davíð Oddsson (born 1948) MP for Reykjavík until 2003 MP for Reykjavík North from 2003	1	30 April 1991	15 September 2004	4887	Independence Party	IP–SDP	1991
			2					IP–PP	1995	Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (1996–2016)
			3						1999
			4						2003
26		Halldór Ásgrímsson (1947–2015) MP for Reykjavík North	1	15 September 2004	15 June 2006	638	Progressive Party
27		Geir Haarde (born 1951) MP for Reykjavík South	1	15 June 2006	1 February 2009	962	Independence Party
27		Geir Haarde (born 1951) MP for Reykjavík South	2	15 June 2006	1 February 2009	962	Independence Party	IP–SDA	2007
28		Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir (born 1942) MP for Reykjavík North	1	1 February 2009	23 May 2013	1572	Social Democratic Alliance	SDA–LGM	2007
28			2	1 February 2009	23 May 2013	1572	Social Democratic Alliance	SDA–LGM	2009
29		Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson (born 1975) MP for Northeast	1	23 May 2013	7 April 2016	1049	Progressive Party	PP–IP	2013
30		Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson (born 1962) MP for South	1	7 April 2016	11 January 2017	280	Progressive Party	PP–IP	2013	Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson (2016–2024)
31		Bjarni Benediktsson (born 1970) MP for Southwest	1	11 January 2017	30 November 2017	323	Independence Party	IP–RP–BF	2016
32		Katrín Jakobsdóttir (born 1976) MP for Reykjavík North	1	30 November 2017	9 April 2024	2541	Left-Green Movement	LGM–IP–PP	2017
32		Katrín Jakobsdóttir (born 1976) MP for Reykjavík North	2	30 November 2017	9 April 2024	2541	Left-Green Movement		2021
(31)		Bjarni Benediktsson (born 1970) MP for Southwest	2	9 April 2024	Incumbent	219	Independence Party		2021	Halla Tómasdóttir (2024–present)

Timeline

References

^ "2016.3.001 Alþingismenn, ráðherrar og forseti Íslands" [2016.3.001 Parliamentarians, Ministers and President of Iceland] (PDF). Kjararáð (in Icelandic). p. 7.
^ Constitution of Iceland (Icelandic version)
^ Constitution of Iceland (English version)
^ "The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in Iceland". Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
^ "Minister's Residence". Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 28 October 2015.

External links

Iceland's Prime Ministers Office

[1] "2016.3.001 Alþingismenn, ráðherrar og forseti Íslands" [2016.3.001 Parliamentarians, Ministers and President of Iceland] (PDF). Kjararáð (in Icelandic). p. 7.

[2] Constitution of Iceland (Icelandic version)

[3] Constitution of Iceland (English version)

[4] "The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in Iceland". Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 28 October 2015.

[5] "Minister's Residence". Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 28 October 2015.

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v t e Prime ministers of Iceland
Minister for Iceland (1904–1918)	Hannes Hafstein Björn Jónsson Kristján Jónsson Hannes Hafstein Sigurður Eggerz Einar Arnórsson
Kingdom of Iceland (1918–1944)	Jón Magnússon Sigurður Eggerz Jón Magnússon Magnús Guðmundsson Jón Þorláksson Tryggvi Þórhallsson Ásgeir Ásgeirsson Hermann Jónasson Ólafur Thors Björn Þórðarson
Republic of Iceland (1944–present)	Ólafur Thors Stefán J. Stefánsson Ólafur Thors Steingrímur Steinþórsson Ólafur Thors Hermann Jónasson Emil Jónsson Ólafur Thors Bjarni Benediktsson Jóhann Hafstein Ólafur Jóhannesson Geir Hallgrímsson Ólafur Jóhannesson Benedikt S. Gröndal Gunnar Thoroddsen Steingrímur Hermannsson Þorsteinn Pálsson Steingrímur Hermannsson Davíð Oddsson Halldór Ásgrímsson Geir Haarde Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson Bjarni Benediktsson Katrín Jakobsdóttir Bjarni Benediktsson