Bjarni Benediktsson (born 1970)
| Bjarni Benediktsson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs | |
|
Assumed office 23 May 2013 | |
| Prime Minister |
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson |
| Preceded by | Katrín Júlíusdóttir |
| Leader of the Independence Party | |
|
Assumed office 29 March 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Geir Haarde |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
26 January 1970 Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Political party | Independence Party |
| Spouse(s) | Þóra Margrét Baldvinsdóttir |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater |
University of Iceland University of Miami |
Bjarni Benediktsson (born 26 January 1970 in Reykjavík), known colloquially as Bjarni Ben, is an Icelandic politician, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs since 23 May 2013 and leader of the Icelandic Independence Party since 2009. The former Icelandic Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson was his great-uncle. The media sometimes refer to them as Bjarni Benediktsson Sr and Bjarni Benediktsson Jr to differentiate between the identical names of the two politicians.
Bjarni was elected leader of the conservative Independence Party at its national convention on 29 March 2009 with 58.1 percent of the vote, about a month before the April 2009 Icelandic legislative elections.[1] The party came in second in the elections with 16 seats, nine fewer than in the previous elections. After conceding defeat on 26 April 2009, Bjarni said his party had lost the trust of voters. "We lost this time but we will win again later," he said.[2]
In the 2013 Althing elections on 28 April the Independence Party and their ally the Progressive Party each won 19 seats.[3] On 17 May 2013 Icelandic media reported that Bjarni would take up the position of Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs in a cabinet led by Progressive Party leader Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson.[4] In the 2016 Althing elections, the Independence Party won 21 seats, while the Progressive party only won 8. Shortly after the results, Prime Minister Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson resigned from his post.
After obtaining a law degree at the University of Iceland, Bjarni completed his studies in Germany and the United States before returning to Iceland to work as a lawyer. He entered the national parliament in 2003 and has been active in several committees in the areas of economy and taxation, industry and foreign affairs.
In 2015, it was revealed that Bjarni had registered on Ashley Madison, a website for extramarital affairs. In response, Bjarni and his wife said that they had both registered on the site because they were curious. His username was "IceHot1".[5]
As reported in 2016, Bjarni "shared what is known as 'power of attorney' over a shell company" involved in the Panama Papers.[6]
References
- ↑ "New Chairman Elected for Iceland's Independents", Iceland Review, 30 March 2009, retrieved 26 April 2009
- ↑ Centre-left wins Iceland election, BBC News, 26 April 2009, retrieved 26 April 2009
- ↑ Iceland vote: Centre-right opposition wins election, BBC News, 28 April 2013, retrieved 1 May 2013
- ↑ Iceland Election: Sigmundur Davíð to be Prime Minister icelandreview.com, 18 May 2013, retrieved 19 May 2013
- ↑ Hafstað, Vala (August 20, 2015). "Minister Entangled in Ashley Madison Affair". Iceland Review. Reykjavik. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
- ↑ Ryan Chittum, Jóhannes Kr. Kristjánsson, Bastian Obermayer, Frederik Obermaier (April 4, 2016). Panama Papers: Iceland’s prime minister had offshore holdings in collapsed banks. The Irish Times. Retrieved: April 6, 2016.
External links
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Geir Haarde |
Leader of the Independence Party 2009–present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Katrín Júlíusdóttir |
Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs 2013–present |
Incumbent |