Prime Minister of Iceland

Official title

The title of Iceland's head of government in Icelandic is forsætisráðherra. Translated, this means "minister-president". This is different from the heads of government of other Nordic states, whose official titles are literally translated as "minister of state" (statsminister; in Icelandic, the literal translation would be ríkisráðherra). However, since "prime minister" or "premier" is the more usual title in a parliamentary system for a head of government in English-speaking nations, the title is translated as "prime minister" by most English sources.

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 the Governing Council (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 in Tjarnargata, Reykjavik, which was the prime ministerial residence until 1943.

List of officeholders

Home Rule (1904–1918)

Despite Hannes Hafstein being a Minister for Iceland, he and his successors are considered to be the first Prime Ministers of Iceland by the national government.

Kingdom (1918–1944)

Political party:

Home Rule

Independence

Conservative

Progressive

Independent

Republic (1944–present)

Political party:

Independence

Progressive

Social Democratic Party

Social Democratic Alliance

Left-Green