Iceland: Opposition Social Democrats win election

In Iceland, the center-left Social Democratic Alliance emerged arsenic the largest enactment successful a drawback election, last tallies showed Sunday.

In winning the Saturday's election, the absorption enactment unseated the ruling conjugation of the past 7 years led by Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson's Independence Party.

With each ballots counted, the Social Democratic Alliance, led by Kristrun Frostadottir, was successful archetypal spot with 20.8% of the vote.

This gives the enactment 15 seats successful Iceland's 63-seat parliament, much than doubling its enactment from the past predetermination successful 2021, erstwhile it received 9.9%.

Meanwhile, the Independence Party trailed the Social Democrats with 19.4%. This was down from 24.4% successful 2021, the party's worst effect ever. The Liberal Reform Party came successful 3rd with 15.8%.

Frostadottir's adjacent measurement volition apt beryllium seeking conjugation partners to bid a parliamentary majority.

In June, businesswoman Halla Tomasdottir won Iceland's statesmanlike election.

Why did the conjugation collapse?

Benediktsson led a three-party left-right conjugation of the Independence Party, the Left-Green Movement and the center-right Progress Party.

However, the conjugation collapsed implicit the attraction of immigrants and asylum-seekers, arsenic good arsenic vigor and lodging issues. Benediktsson resigned successful October, astir a twelvemonth earlier the deadline for parliamentary elections.

The Independence Party's partners besides mislaid elector support. The Left-Green Movement received lone 2.3% of the vote, beneath the 5% threshold to participate parliament, portion the Progressive Party received lone 7.8%, down from 17.3% successful 2021.

Despite being the origin of the government's downfall, migration was not a galvanizing contented among voters successful a state wherever 1 successful 5 residents is foreign-born.

According to a Gallup canvass released successful aboriginal November, lone 32% of respondents listed migration arsenic a apical issue, and lone 18% included asylum issues.

In contrast, wellness care, economical issues, and lodging were the apical concerns for much than 60% of respondents successful the North Atlantic land nation.

dh/sms (AP, AFP, Reuters)