Centre Party (Iceland)

The Centre Party (Icelandic: Miðflokkurinn) is a centrist populist political party in Iceland, established in September 2017.[3] It split from the Progressive Party due to leadership disputes, when two factions decided to band up as a new party before the 2017 election. It has been described as "populist".[4][5]

Centre Party

Miðflokkurinn
ChairpersonSigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
FounderSigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
Founded24 September 2017
Split fromProgressive Party
IdeologyCentrism[lower-alpha 1][1]
Populism[1]
Nordic agrarianism
Euroscepticism
Political positionCentre-right[2]
Nordic affiliationCentre Group
Seats in Parliament
9 / 63
Election symbol
M
Website
midflokkurinn.is

The party proposes to reform the state's banking sector, maintain government ownership of Landsbankinn while reclaiming the state's stake in Arion Bank currently controlled by hedge funds,[6] redistributing a third of its shares among Icelanders,[7] but also to sell the government's existing stake in Íslandsbanki. The party supports scrapping indexation on debts and opposes the accession of Iceland to the European Union.[8] At the inaugural meeting of the party in Reykjavik on 8 October, Sigmundur Davíð claimed that the party supported the best ideas of the left and right, emphasizing both the protection of individual rights and social security, while also focusing on regional issues in the same vein of the Northern Powerhouse in the UK and improving benefits for the elderly.[9] The party also proposes to improve ferry services and construct a new university hospital.[10] The party opposed legislation to expand abortion rights to the 22nd week of the pregnancy.[11] The party opposed legislation to allow individuals to define their own gender in the eyes of the law.[12] One of the party's members has called for teaching climate change denial views in public schools.[13]

According to a poll conducted by the Social Science Research Institute at the University of Iceland for Morgunblaðið in October 2017, the party draws nearly half its support from supporters of the Progressive Party in the 2016 election, with another quarter from the Independence Party and 13% from the liberal Reform Party and Bright Future.[14] Sigmundur Davíð has traditionally attracted support due to his nationalist and populist views, though did not express such views during the 2017 campaign.[15]

In December 2018, a leaked recording captured four MPs of the Centre Party, including party leader Sigmundur Davíð, discussing women and a disabled woman in denigrating and sexually charged language.[16]

Electoral results
Election Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
2017 21,335 10.9
7 / 63
 7 5th Opposition

Leaders
ChairpersonPeriod
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson 2017–

Notes
  1. Self-proclaimed

References
  1. Jelena Ćirić (27 October 2017). "Icelandic Parliamentary Election 2017: Party Overview". Iceland Review. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  2. Fontaine, Paul (30 October 2017). "Elections '17: Who Are Iceland's Political Parties & Who Will Lead Next?". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  3. Anna Lilja Þórisdóttir (28 September 2017). "Flokkur Sigmundar heitir Miðflokkurinn og býður fram undir X-M". Morgunblaðið. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  4. Richard Martyn-Hemphill (28 October 2017). "Iceland Goes to Polls Amid Scandals, Disgust and Distrust". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  5. "Miðflokkurinn er stærsta popúlíska hreyfing Íslands". Stundin (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2018-06-21.
  6. Ragnhildur Siguroardottir (27 October 2017). "Icelanders May Look Beyond Scandal to Vote With Their Wallets". Bloomberg. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  7. Björn Malmquist (27 October 2017). "Iceland's ex-leader poised for political resurrection". Politico Europe. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  8. Ragnhildur Siguroardottir (24 October 2017). "A Guide to the Parties in Iceland's Nail-Biter Election". Bloomberg. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  9. Margrét Helga Erlingsdóttir (8 October 2017). "Vill að ríkið nýti forkaupsrétt að Arion-banka". Vísir. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  10. "Birgir Þórarinsson: Til Eyjamanna". Eyjafréttir. 26 October 2017. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  11. "Sjö karlkyns þingmenn Sjálfstæðisflokks sátu hjá í atkvæðagreiðslu um þungunarrof - Vísir". visir.is. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  12. "Krafðist þess að frumvarp um kynrænt sjálfræði yrði tekið af dagskrá - Vísir". visir.is. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  13. "Þingmaður Miðflokks vill láta kenna sjónarmið afneitunarsinna í loftslagsmálum í grunnskólum". Stundin. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  14. Jón Birgir Eiríksson (9 October 2017). "Baráttan verður snörp". Morgunblaðið. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  15. Jakob Bjarnar (18 October 2017). "Sigmundur vekur Ingu frá þingmennskudraumum". Vísir. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  16. Peter, Laurence (2018-12-03). "Iceland scandal over MPs' sexist bar talk". BBC News. Retrieved 2018-12-04.
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