Progressive Party (Iceland)
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Framsóknarflokkurinn
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| Leader | Guðni Ágústsson |
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| Founded | 1916 |
| Headquarters | Hverfisgata 33 101 Reykjavík |
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| Ideology | Liberalism, Agrarianism |
| International affiliation | Liberal International |
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| Website http://www.framsokn.is |
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The Progressive Party (Icelandic: Framsóknarflokkurinn) is an agrarian, liberal and centrist party in Iceland. The party is a member of the Liberal International. Current chairman of the party is Guðni Ágústsson. As a vice-chairman he became chairman when the previous chairman, Jón Sigurðsson, resigned after the Progressive Party suffered great losses in the 2007 election. Jón's predecessor as party leader was Halldór Ásgrímsson, chairman 1994-2006. Halldór was Prime Minister of Iceland 2004-2006.
The party had been in a government coalition partner to the conservative Independence Party in the period 1995-2007. From 1995 to 2004, it participated in the coalition as the junior partner under the premiership of Independence Party leader Davíð Oddsson, but the two parties agreed after the 2003 legislative elections that Halldór would become Prime Minister in September 2004. He took office on September 15, but later announced his intention to resign on June 5, 2006 following the party's poor results in the 2006 municipal elections. The coalition remained allied with the Independence Party chairman, Geir H. Haarde, as Prime Minister. The Progressive Party leader Jón Sigurðsson was minister of Industry and Commerce, until a coalition of the Independence Party and the Alliance took over after the elections in 2007.
Though the Progressive Party was originally founded as an agrarian party and still finds most of its support from farmers and fishermen, it has gradually adopted the position of a liberal party in the political spectrum. It was founded in 1916 as a merger of two agrarian parties, the Farmers' Party (Bændaflokkur) and the Independent Farmers (Óháðir bændur).
Throughout Iceland's history as a self-governing and independent nation, the Progressive Party has most often been the second largest political party in the country. It has often joined government coalitions with either the Independence Party on the right, or with left-wing parties.
[edit] Recent elections
In the 2007 elections, the party dropped five seats, down from twelve. The coalition only held a one-seat majority in the Althing, and the Independence Party formed a government with the Social Democratic Alliance with the deal being signed on May 22, returning the Progressive Party to the opposition.
[edit] Leadership
6 of its 12 chairmen have been prime ministers of Iceland:
- Tryggvi Þórhallsson PM 1927-1932 cm 1928-1932
- Ásgeir Ásgeirsson PM 1932-1934 chair man 1932-1933
- Hermann Jónasson PM 1934-1942 and 1956-1958 cm 1944-1962
- Ólafur Jóhannesson PM 1971-1974 and 1978-1979 cm 1968-1979
- Steingrímur Hermannsson PM 1983-1987 and 1988-1991 cm 1979-1994
- Halldór Ásgrímsson PM 2004-2006 cm 1994-2006
- Jón Sigurðsson cm 2006-2007
- Guðni Ágústsson cm 2007-present
In addition to those, Steingrímur Steinþórsson headed a government from 1950 to 1953.
[edit] See also
- Liberalism
- Contributions to liberal theory
- Liberalism worldwide
- List of liberal parties
- Liberal democracy
- Liberalism and centrism in Iceland
[edit] External links
- Progressive Party official site
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