List of political parties in Iceland facts for kids

Iceland is a country where many different political parties work together. Because no single party usually wins enough votes to govern alone, parties often team up. These teams are called coalition governments. They work together to lead the country.

How Iceland's Government Works

Iceland has a special way of choosing its leaders. It's called a multi-party system. This means there are many political parties, not just two or three. When people vote, they choose a party. The parties that get enough votes send members to the Althing, which is Iceland's parliament.

What are Political Parties?

A political party is a group of people who share similar ideas about how the country should be run. They have goals for things like schools, healthcare, and the environment. Each party has a leader and a set of beliefs, called an Ideology. When you vote, you are choosing which party's ideas you think are best for Iceland.

Parties in Iceland's Parliament

After the election in September 2021, eight different parties won seats in the Althing. The Althing has 63 members of parliament (MPs). These MPs represent their parties and the people who voted for them.

Here are the main parties that are currently in Iceland's parliament:

• Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn): This party is usually seen as centre-right or right-wing. They believe in less government control and more freedom for businesses. Their leader is Bjarni Benediktsson, who is currently the Prime Minister. They have 17 MPs.
• Progressive Party (Framsóknarflokkurinn): This party is often in the centre or centre-right. They focus on helping farmers and people in rural areas. They also tend to be Eurosceptic, meaning they are cautious about joining the European Union. Their leader is Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson. They have 13 MPs.
• Left-Green Movement (Vinstri græn): This party is on the centre-left to left-wing side. They care a lot about protecting the environment and making society fairer for everyone. They support democratic socialism and feminism. Their acting leader is Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson. They have 8 MPs.
• Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin): This party is a centre-left party. They believe in social democracy, which means they want a strong welfare system to help everyone. They also support feminism. Their leader is Kristrún Frostadóttir. They have 6 MPs.
• People's Party (Flokkur Fólksins): This party is often described as populist. They focus on helping ordinary people and those with disabilities. Their leader is Inga Sæland. They have 6 MPs.
• Pirate Party (Pírataflokkurinn): This party is unique and often called syncretic, meaning they combine ideas from different parts of the political spectrum. They strongly support direct democracy, which means giving more power directly to the people, and protecting online freedoms. They don't have one single leader. They have 6 MPs.
• Liberal Reform Party (Viðreisn): This party is in the centre to centre-right. They focus on economic freedom and also care about green policies. Their leader is Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir. They have 5 MPs.
• Centre Party (Miðflokkurinn): This party is a centre-right party. They are conservative and populist, and also Eurosceptic. Their leader is Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson. They have 2 MPs.

Images for kids

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  Independence Party logo

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  Progressive Party logo

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  Left-Green Movement logo

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  Social Democratic Alliance logo

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  People's Party logo

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  Pirate Party logo

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  Liberal Reform Party logo

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  Centre Party logo