Iceland's Political Shift: Social Democrats Take Lead in Snap Election

Iceland's Social Democratic Alliance leads in a snap election, dethroning the seven-year ruling coalition. Led by Kristrun Frostadottir, they secured 15 seats with 20.8% votes. The former ruling coalition, headed by the Independence Party, saw a surprising second place. The election was prompted by coalition conflicts.

In a surprising turn of events, Iceland's centre-left Social Democratic Alliance emerged as the leading party in a snap election, unseating the ruling coalition that had maintained power for the last seven years. The final count revealed the Alliance, led by Kristrun Frostadottir, claimed 15 out of the 63 seats in parliament with 20.8% of the vote, as reported by state broadcaster RUV.

Frostadottir, who took over the party's leadership two years ago, has been a staunch advocate of the Nordic welfare model and has promised to address the cost-of-living crisis exacerbated by high inflation and borrowing costs. Meanwhile, the Independence Party, led by Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, unexpectedly secured the second highest number of votes, gaining 14 seats with 19.4% following a late surge in support. The Liberal Reform Party secured the third position, capturing 11 seats with 15.8% of the vote.

The election was instigated by increasing coalition disputes and public dissatisfaction concerning migration, energy, and housing issues. Parties needed 32 seats to hold a majority in the Althingi parliament, but the Left-Green Movement failed to gain any seats, signaling a major shift in Iceland's political landscape.

(With inputs from agencies.)