Halla Tómasdóttir elected as President of Iceland
Halla Tómasdóttir is the new President of Iceland. The 55-year-old assumed the official role in a ceremony at the Icelandic parliament in the capital, Reykjavik. "I am aware of the responsibility I now undertake," said the successor to the previous president, Gudni Th. Jóhannesson, who did not run for re-election after two four-year terms.
Tómasdóttir thanked previous heads of state of the North Atlantic island, her parents, and brave women who had shown her at a young age that courage and unity could change society and bring progress.
The entrepreneur Tómasdóttir won the presidential election in early June against twelve other candidates, including former Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, who stepped down from her post to run for president. In 2016, Tómasdóttir also ran for president but lost to Jóhannesson.
The presidential role in the Republic of Iceland is largely ceremonial. Tómasdóttir is the second woman, after Vigdís Finnbogadóttir from 1980 to 1996, to hold this office since Iceland's independence from Denmark. She is married and has two children.
The new President of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir, referred to the responsibility she now holds, acknowledging it in her speech during the inauguration ceremony. In her victory speech after the presidential election, Tómasdóttir expressed gratitude towards the previous presidents and the courageous women who inspired her early in life.
