Senior leader - Tómasdóttir is elected as Iceland's new president
On the island, Halla Tomasdottir emerged victorious in the presidential election after a long vote-counting process on election night. She eventually held a clear lead over her opponents. Initially, Tomasdottir and Katrin Jakobsdottir were evenly matched; with the latter being a former Prime Minister who already had considerable political experience. Both women were considered front runners until the end. Jakobsdottir eventually conceded defeat and congratulated Tomasdottir on her win.
With a 79% voter turnout, the Icelandic broadcaster RUV reported record-breaking voter participation. Out of nearly 270,000 eligible Icelanders, Tomasdottir had already secured the presidency. A few more votes were still being tallied, but her triumph was already evident. She is Iceland's seventh president and only the second woman to hold the position. She assumes office on August 1st.
The torch has passed from Gudni Johannesson
Tomasdottir will succeed the 55-year-old Gudni Johannesson, who has served as President of the North Atlantic island since 2016. In his New Year's address, Johannesson announced that he would not seek a third term.
Tomasdottir had previously contested for the presidency in 2016 and lost against Johannesson, who held the position for eight years.
As a largely ceremonial role, the President of Iceland's responsibilities are mostly symbolic. The island, with its approximately 380,000 inhabitants, belongs to the European Economic Area but is not a member of the European Union. In this nation, presidential elections occur every four years, so long as there are more than one candidate. This year saw a record-breaking twelve contenders.
