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Prime Minister of Iceland
Coat of arms of Iceland.svg
Katrín Jakobsdóttir (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Katrín Jakobsdóttir

since 30 November 2017
Prime Minister's Office
Style Madam Prime Minister (informal)
Her 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 (1904-02-01)
Salary 2,021,825 kr monthly
Website

The prime minister of Iceland (Icelandic: [Forsætisráðherra Íslands] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) is Iceland's head of government. 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.
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.

Locations

The prime minister's office is located in Stjórnarráðið, Reykjavik, where their secretariat is based and where cabinet meetings are held. The prime minister has a summer residence, Þingvallabær in Þingvellir. The prime minister also has a reception house at Tjarnargata, Reykjavik, which was the prime ministerial residence until 1943.

List of previous prime ministers

Home Rule (1904–1918)

Political party:       Home Rule       Independence       Union       Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency
Took office Left office Party
Hannes Hafsteinn.jpg Hannes Þórður Pétursson Hafstein
(1861–1922)
MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla
1 February 1904 31 March 1909 Home Rule Party
Bjorn Jonsson.jpg Björn Jónsson
(1846–1912)
MP for Barðastrandarsýsla
31 March 1909 14 March 1911 Independence Party
Kristjan Jonsson.jpg Kristján Jónsson
(1852–1926)
MP for Borgarfjarðarsýsla
14 March 1911 24 July 1912 Independent
Hannes Hafsteinn.jpg Hannes Hafstein
(1861–1922)
MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla
24 July 1912 21 July 1914 Union Party
Sigurður Eggerz.jpg Sigurður Eggerz
(1875–1945)
MP for West Skaftafellssýsla
21 July 1914 4 May 1915 Independence Party
EinarArnorsson.jpg 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
# Took Office Left Office Days
1 Jón Magnússon1.jpg 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
2 25 February 1920 7 March 1922 HP–others 1919
2 Sigurður Eggerz.jpg Sigurður Eggerz
(1875–1945)
MP without constituency
7 March 1922 22 March 1924 746 Independence Party IP–others
1923
(1) Jón Magnússon1.jpg Jón Magnússon
(1859–1926)
MP without constituency
3 22 March 1924 23 June 1926 (died) 823 Conservative Party CP
3 Magnús Guðmundsson.jpg Magnús Guðmundsson
Acting
(1879–1937)
MP for Skagafjarðarsýsla
23 June 1926 8 July 1926 15 Conservative Party
4 JThorl1927.jpg Jón Þorláksson
(1877–1935)
MP without constituency
8 July 1926 28 August 1927 416 Conservative Party CP
5 Tryggvi Þórhallson.jpg Tryggvi Þórhallsson
(1889–1935)
MP for Strandasýsla
28 August 1927 3 June 1932 1741 Progressive Party PP 1927
1931
6 Asgeir Asgeirsson.jpg Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
(1894–1972)
MP for West Ísafjarðarsýsla
3 June 1932 28 July 1934 785 Progressive Party PP–IP–Peasants
1933
7 Hermann Jonasson.jpg Hermann Jónasson
(1896–1976)
MP for Strandasýsla
1 28 July 1934 2 April 1938 2849 Progressive Party PP–SDP 1934
2 2 April 1938 17 April 1939 PP 1937
3 17 April 1939 18 November 1941 PP–IP–SDP
4 18 November 1941 16 May 1942 PP–IP–SDP
8 Olafur Thors.jpg Ólafur Tryggvason Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
1 16 May 1942 16 December 1942 214 Independence Party IP Jul.1942
Oct.1942
9 Björn Þórðarson.png Björn Þórðarson
(1879–1963)
not in Parliament
16 December 1942 21 October 1944 675 Independent

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 of Republic of Iceland
Term of office
Political Party
# Took Office Left Office Days
(8) Olafur Thors.jpg Ólafur Tryggvason Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
2 21 October 1944 4 February 1947 836 Independence Party IP–SDP–SP 1946 Sveinn Björnsson
Sveinn Björnsson.jpg

17 June 1944 – 25 January 1952
Independent
10 Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson.jpg Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson
(1894–1980)
MP for Eyjafjarðarsýsla
4 February 1947 6 December 1949 1036 Social Democratic Party SDP–IP–SP
(8) Olafur Thors.jpg Ólafur Tryggvason Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
3 6 December 1949 14 March 1950 98 Independence Party IP 1949
11 Steingrímur Steinþórsson.jpg Steingrímur Steinþórsson
(1893–1966)
MP for Skagafjarðarsýsla
14 March 1950 11 September 1953 1277 Progressive Party PP–IP
(8) Olafur Thors.jpg Ólafur Tryggvason Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
4 11 September 1953 24 July 1956 1035 Independence Party IP–PP 1953 Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
Asgeir Asgeirsson.jpg

1 August 1952 – 1 August 1968
Social Democratic Party (Iceland)
(7) Herman Jonassón.jpg Hermann Jónasson
(1896–1976)
MP for Strandasýsla
5 24 July 1956 23 December 1958 894 Progressive Party Alliance
PP–SDP–PA
1956
12 Emil Jónsson.jpg Guðmundur Emil Jónsson
(1902–1986)
MP for Hafnarfjörður
23 December 1958 20 November 1959 332 Social Democratic Party SDP Jun.1959
(8) Olafur Thors.jpg Ólafur Tryggvason Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
5 20 November 1959 8 September 1961 658 Independence Party IP–SDP Oct.1959
13 Bjarni Benediktsson 1908.jpg Bjarni Benediktsson
Acting
(1908–1970)
MP for Reykjavík
8 September 1961 31 December 1961 114 Independence Party IP–SDP
(8) Olafur Thors.jpg Ólafur Tryggvason Thors
(1892–1964)
MP for Gullbringu and Kjósarsýsla
1 January 1962 14 November 1963 682 Independence Party IP–SDP
(13) Bjarni Benediktsson 1908.jpg Bjarni Benediktsson
(1908–1970)
MP for Reykjavík
14 November 1963 10 July 1970 (died) 2430 Independence Party IP–SDP 1963
1967 Kristján Eldjárn
Kristján Eldjárn (1982).jpg

1 August 1968 – 1 August 1980
Independent
14 Jóhann Hafstein.jpg Jóhann Hafstein
(1915–1980)
MP for Reykjavík
(Acting: 10 July 1970)
10 October 1970
14 July 1971 369 Independence Party IP–SDP
15 No image.svg Ólafur Jóhannesson
(1913–1984)
MP for Northwestern
1 14 July 1971 28 August 1974 1141 Progressive Party PP–PA–LL 1971
16 Geir Hallgrímsson (cropped).jpg Geir Hallgrímsson
(1925–1990)
MP for Reykjavík
28 August 1974 1 September 1978 1465 Independence Party IP–PP 1974
(15) No image.svg Ólafur Jóhannesson
(1913–1984)
MP for Northwestern
2 1 September 1978 15 October 1979 409 Progressive Party PP–PA 1978
17 No image.svg Benedikt Sigurðsson Gröndal
(1924–2010)
MP for Reykjavík
15 October 1979 8 February 1980 116 Social Democratic Party SDP 1979
18 No image.svg Gunnar Thoroddsen
(1910–1983)
MP for Reykjavík
8 February 1980 26 May 1983 1203 Independence Party
(*Gunnar's faction)
IP*–PP–PA Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
Vigdis Finnbogadottir (1985).jpg

1 August 1980 – 1 August 1996
Independent
19 Visit of Steingrimur Hermannsson, Icelandic Prime Minister, to the CEC (cropped).jpg Steingrímur Hermannsson
(1928–2010)
MP for Westfjords
1 26 May 1983 8 July 1987 1504 Progressive Party PP–IP 1983
20 Þorsteinn Pálsson (cropped).jpeg Þorsteinn Pálsson
(born 1947)
MP for Southern
8 July 1987 28 September 1988 448 Independence Party IP–PP–SDP 1987
(19) Visit of Steingrimur Hermannsson, Icelandic Prime Minister, to the CEC (cropped).jpg Steingrímur Hermannsson
(1928–2010)
MP for Reykjanes
2 28 September 1988 10 September 1989 944 Progressive Party PP–SDP–PA
3 10 September 1989 30 April 1991 PP–SDP–PA–CiP
21 Bilden ar tagen vid Nordiska radets session i Oslo, 2003.jpg Davíð Oddsson
(born 1948)
MP for Reykjavík until 2003
MP for Reykjavík North from 2003
1 30 April 1991 23 April 1995 4887 Independence Party IP–SDP 1991
2 23 April 1995 28 May 1999 IP–PP 1995 Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, September 2011 (cropped).jpeg

1 August 1996 – 1 August 2016
Independent
3 28 May 1999 23 May 2003 IP–PP 1999
4 23 May 2003 15 September 2004 IP–PP 2003
22 Halldor Asgrimsson, generalsekreterare for Nordiska ministerradet (7).jpg Halldór Ásgrímsson
(1947–2015)
MP for Reykjavík North
15 September 2004 15 June 2006 638 Progressive Party PP–IP
23 Geir H. Haarde Islands utrikesminister (cropped).png Geir Hilmar Haarde
(born 1951)
MP for Reykjavík South
1 15 June 2006 24 May 2007 962 Independence Party IP–PP
2 24 May 2007 1 February 2009 IP–SDA 2007
24 Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir Jan 2011 (cropped).jpg Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
(born 1942)
MP for Reykjavík North
1 1 February 2009 10 May 2009 1572 Social Democratic Alliance SDA–LGM
2 10 May 2009 23 May 2013 SDA–LGM 2009
25 Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson 2016 (cropped resized).jpg Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
(born 1975)
MP for Northeast
23 May 2013 7 April 2016 1049 Progressive Party PP–IP 2013
26 Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson 2016 (cropped).png Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
(born 1962)
MP for South
7 April 2016 11 January 2017 280 Progressive Party PP–IP Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson
Guðni Th. Jóhannesson (cropped).jpg

1 August 2016–
Independent
27 Bjarni Benediktsson vid Nordiska Radets session i Stockholm.jpg Bjarni Benediktsson
(born 1970)
MP for Southwest
11 January 2017 30 November 2017 323 Independence Party IP–RP–BF 2016
28 Wellbeing Economy Governments meeting (WEGo) (33871114638) (cropped 4) (cropped).jpg Katrín Jakobsdóttir
(born 1976)
MP for Reykjavík North
1 30 November 2017 28 November 2021 2310 Left-Green Movement LGM–IP–PP 2017
2 28 November 2021 Incumbent LGM–IP–PP 2021

Living former prime ministers

Timeline

Katrín JakobsdóttirBjarni Benediktsson (born 1970)Sigurður Ingi JóhannssonSigmundur Davíð GunnlaugssonJóhanna SigurðardóttirGeir HaardeHalldór ÁsgrímssonDavíð OddssonÞorsteinn PálssonSteingrímur HermannssonGunnar ThoroddsenBenedikt Sigurðsson GröndalGeir HallgrímssonÓlafur JóhannessonJóhann HafsteinBjarni Benediktsson (born 1908)Emil JónssonSteingrímur SteinþórssonStefán Jóhann StefánssonBjörn ÞórðarsonÓlafur ThorsHermann JónassonÁsgeir ÁsgeirssonTryggvi ÞórhallssonJón ÞorlákssonMagnús GuðmundssonSigurður EggerzJón Magnússon (politician)


See also

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