The prime minister of Iceland () is head of government of the country of Iceland. The prime minister is appointed formally by the president and exercises executive authority along with the cabinet subject to parliamentary support.

Official title The title of Iceland's head of government in Icelandic is forsætisráðherra. Translated, this means "minister-president". This is different from the heads of government of other Nordic states, whose official titles are literally translated as "minister of state" (statsminister; in Icelandic, the literal translation would be ríkisráðherra). However, since "prime minister" or "premier" is the more usual title in a parliamentary system for a head of government in English-speaking nations, the title is translated as "prime minister" by most English sources.

Constitutional basis The prime minister is appointed by the president under the Constitution of Iceland, Section II Article 17, and chairs the Cabinet of Iceland:

Constitution of Iceland (Icelandic version) The [cabinet] meetings shall be presided over by the Minister called upon by the President of the Republic to do so, who is designated Prime Minister.Constitution of Iceland (English version)

Locations The prime minister's office is located in the Governing Council (Stjórnarráðið), Reykjavik, where their secretariat is based and where cabinet meetings are held. The prime minister has a summer residence, Þingvallabær in Þingvellir. The prime minister also has a reception house in Tjarnargata, Reykjavik, which was the prime ministerial residence until 1943.

List of officeholders Home Rule (1904–1918) Despite Hannes Hafstein being a Minister for Iceland, he and his successors are considered to be the first Prime Ministers of Iceland by the national government. Portrait Name Term of office Political party Government Took office Left office Time in office 1 Hannes Hafstein 1 February 1904 31 March 1909 Home Rule Party DeuntzerChristensen I–IINeergaard I 2 Björn Jónsson 31 March 1909 14 March 1911 Independence Party Neergaard IHolstein-LedreborgZahle IBerntsen 3 Kristján Jónsson 14 March 1911 25 July 1912 Independent Berntsen (1) Hannes Hafstein 25 July 1912 21 July 1914 Union Party BerntsenZahle II 4 Sigurður Eggerz 21 July 1914 4 May 1915 Independence Party Zahle II 5 Einar Arnórsson 4 May 1915 4 January 1917 Independence Party – Langsum Zahle II

Kingdom (1918–1944)

Political party:

Portrait Name Term of office Party Elected Cabinet Monarch Took office Left office Time in office 6 Jón Magnússon 4 January 1917 7 March 1922 Home Rule Party 1916 Magnússon I 1919 Magnússon II (4) Sigurður Eggerz 7 March 1922 22 March 1924 Independence Party – Eggerz (6) Jón Magnússon 22 March 1924 23 June 1926 Conservative Party 1923Magnússon III 7 Magnús Guðmundsson 23 June 1926 8 July 1926 Conservative Party – 8 Jón Þorláksson(1877–1935) 8 July 1926 28 August 1927 Conservative Party – Þorláksson 9 Tryggvi Þórhallsson 28 August 1927 3 June 1932 Progressive Party 1927 Þórhallsson 1931 10 Ásgeir Ásgeirsson 3 June 1932 28 July 1934 Progressive Party – Ásgeirsson 1933 11 Hermann Jónasson 28 July 1934 16 May 1942 Progressive Party 1934 Jónasson I 1937 Jónasson II – Jónasson III – Jónasson IV 12 Ólafur Thors 16 May 1942 16 December 1942 Independence Party 1942 Thors I 1942 13 Björn Þórðarson 16 December 1942 21 October 1944 Independent – Þórðarson

Republic (1944–present)

Political party:

Portrait Name Term of office Party Elected Cabinet President(s) Took office Left office Time in office (12) Ólafur Thors 21 October 1944 4 February 1947 Independence Party – Thors II 1946 14 Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson 4 February 1947 6 December 1949 Social Democratic Party – Stefánsson (12) Ólafur Thors 6 December 1949 14 March 1950 Independence Party1949 Thors III 15 Steingrímur Steinþórsson 14 March 1950 11 September 1953 Progressive Party – Steinþórsson (12) Ólafur Thors 11 September 1953 24 July 1956 Independence Party 1953 Thors IV (11) Hermann Jónasson 24 July 1956 23 December 1958 Progressive Party 1956 Jónasson V 16 Emil Jónsson 23 December 1958 20 November 1959 Social Democratic Party 1959 Jónsson (12) Ólafur Thors 20 November 1959 8 September 1961 Independence Party 1959 Thors V – Bjarni Benediktsson 8 September 1961 31 December 1961 Independence Party – (12) Ólafur Thors 1 January 1962 14 November 1963 Independence Party – 17 Bjarni Benediktsson 14 November 1963 10 July 1970 Independence Party 1963 Benediktsson 1967 – Jóhann Hafstein 10 July 1970 10 October 1970 Independence Party – Hafstein 18 10 October 1970 14 July 1971 19 Ólafur Jóhannesson 14 July 1971 28 August 1974 Progressive Party 1971 Jóhannesson I 20 Geir Hallgrímsson 28 August 1974 1 September 1978 Independence Party 1974 Hallgrímsson (19) Ólafur Jóhannesson 1 September 1978 15 October 1979 Progressive Party 1978 Jóhannesson II 21 Benedikt Gröndal 15 October 1979 8 February 1980 Social Democratic Party 1979 Sigurðsson Gröndal 22 Gunnar Thoroddsen 8 February 1980 26 May 1983 Independence Party(*Gunnar's faction) – Thoroddsen 23 Steingrímur Hermannsson 26 May 1983 8 July 1987 Progressive Party 1983 Hermannsson I 24 Þorsteinn Pálsson 8 July 1987 28 September 1988 Independence Party 1987 Pálsson (23) Steingrímur Hermannsson 28 September 1988 30 April 1991 Progressive Party – Hermannsson II – Hermannsson III 25 Davíð Oddsson 30 April 1991 15 September 2004 Independence Party 1991 Oddsson I 1995 Oddsson II 1999 Oddsson III 2003 Oddsson IV 26 Halldór Ásgrímsson 15 September 2004 15 June 2006 Progressive Party – Ásgrímsson 27 Geir Haarde 15 June 2006 1 February 2009 Independence Party – Haarde I 2007 Haarde II 28 Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir 1 February 2009 23 May 2013 Social Democratic Alliance – Sigurðardóttir I 2009 Sigurðardóttir II 29 Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson 23 May 2013 7 April 2016 Progressive Party 2013 Gunnlaugsson 30 Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson 7 April 2016 11 January 2017 Progressive Party – Jóhannsson 31 Bjarni Benediktsson 11 January 2017 30 November 2017 Independence Party 2016 Benediktsson I 32 Katrín Jakobsdóttir 30 November 2017 9 April 2024 Left-Green Movement 2017 Jakobsdóttir I 2021 Jakobsdóttir II (31) Bjarni Benediktsson 9 April 2024 21 December 2024 Independence Party – Benediktsson II 33 Kristrún Frostadóttir 21 December 2024 Incumbent Social Democratic Alliance 2024 Frostadóttir

Timeline

See also

List of rulers of Iceland Cabinet of Iceland

Notes

References

External links Iceland's Prime Ministers Office