Businesswoman Halla Tomasdottir elected as Iceland's next President

Businesswoman and B Team CEO Halla Tomasdottir has been elected the seventh President of Iceland and will take over from Guana Johannesson on August 1, RUV reported. Tomasdottir will be the second woman to hold the office after Vigdis Finnbogadottir, who was the first woman in the world to be democratically elected as president in 1980.

Halla Tomasdottir received 34.3 per cent of the vote while Iceland's former Prime Minister Katrina Jakobsdottir won 25.2 per cent, RUV reported. Director General Halla Hrund Logadottir followed with 15.1 per cent while comedian Jon Gnarr fifth and Professor Baldur Thorhallsson stood at fourth and fifth place respectively, according to Iceland Review report.

"I want to congratulate her and I know she'll be a good president," Katrin Jakobsdottir said when Halla Tomasdottir's victory was becoming clear.


At her campaign celebration in the morning, Tomasdottir said, "I think people want to discuss our society and take part in it," Iceland Review reported. She said, "I feel the energy of the people who have joined me on this journey."

Voter turnout in this election was 78.83 per cent and has not been higher in a presidential election since 1996, RUV reported.

During her campaign, Tomasdottir had said, "I only see one team in Iceland and that's Icelanders." Speaking to Iceland Review, She said, "[We] can make Bessastadir the home for our national compass." Notably, Bessastadir is the official residence of the President of Iceland.

On Saturday, Iceland's outgoing President GuJohannesson, who secured a win against Halla in 2016, said that her message had obviously been well received by the voters.

He said that Katrin Jakobsdottir had faced tough questions about how she entered the presidential race when she resigned as Iceland Prime Minister and leader of the Left-Green Movement in the middle of her term to run for presidential elections.

Guani Johannesson said, "Most of those who spoke publicly about the election race expected it to be closer."

On January 1, Iceland's outgoing President Gudni Johannesson announced that he would not seek reelection after serving two terms in office. Johannesson will serve as Iceland's President until August 1, when the newly-elected President takes office.

Notably, the President of Iceland has limited political powers, Iceland Review report. However, he performs all ceremonial duties and is considered to have a significant influence on Icelandic society.