Second Government of Katrín Jakobsdóttir Takes Office
The State Council held two meetings at the President’s residence at Bessastaðir today. At the former meeting the President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, accepted the resignation of the first government headed by Katrín Jakobsdóttir. The second government headed by Katrín Jakobsdóttir was then officially installed in office at the latter meeting. At the same time, the President also signed a Presidential Decree on the allocation of ministerial responsibilities as follows:
- Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister
- Bjarni Benediktsson, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs
- Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Minister of Infrastructure
- Svandís Svavarsdóttir, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture
- Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Minister for the Environment, Energy and Climate
- Þórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation
- Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Tourism, Trade and Culture
- Ásmundur Einar Daðason, Minister of Education and Children's Affairs
- Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, Minister of Social Affairs and the Labour Market
- Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Minister of Science, Industry and Innovation
- Jón Gunnarsson, Minister of the Interior
- Willum Þór Þórsson, Minister of Health
The formation of the new government involves extensive realignment of Government Offices, together with an increase in the number of ministers by one to 12. The number of ministries will be increased from ten to 12 and responsibilities redistributed among ministries.
The new ministries will commence work around or after the end of the year. The government ministries will be restructured as follows:
Prime Minister's Office
The principal change is the transfer of human rights issues to the Ministry from the Ministry of Justice.
Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs
The tasks of the ministry remain unchanged.
Ministry of Infrastructure
The Ministry’s responsibilities will be essentially the same as were those of the Ministry of Transport and Local Government. Housing and construction affairs will be transferred to the Ministry from the Ministry of Social Affairs and planning issues from the Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources.
Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture
The tasks of the new Ministry are mostly based on those handled by the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture in the last government, with the addition of forestry and land reclamation, which were formerly under the Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources.
Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate
The Ministry's tasks will mainly be the same as those of the former Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources; however, energy issues and resource utilisation will be transferred to the Ministry from the Ministry of Industry and Innovation.
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
The Ministry’s responsibilities will essentially remain the same.
Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Culture
The Ministry’s responsibilities are basically those formerly handled by the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Innovation and the Minister of Education, Science and Culture in the last government, including cultural affairs, which are transferred from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.
Ministry of Education and Children’s Affairs
The Ministry's main responsibility will be schools, sports and youth, and children's affairs.
Ministry of Social Affairs and the Labour Market
The Ministry's tasks are for the most part the same as those of the former Ministry of Social Affairs; however, services for applicants for international protection are transferred to the Ministry from the Ministry of Justice.
Ministry of Science, Industry and Innovation
The main responsibilities of the new Ministry will concern science and research, including universities; industry and innovation; and telecommunications. The Minister of Science, Industry and Innovation will be located in the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture until the new Ministry commences works.
Ministry of the Interior
The Ministry’s responsibilities will essentially remain the same as those of the former Ministry of Justice.
Ministry of Health
The tasks of the ministry remain unchanged.
The leaders of the Independence Party, the Left Green Movement and the Progressive Party, today signed an agreement on a platform for their coalition government. It presents the parties’ common emphases for economic and social progress, environmental protection, dynamic value creation, gender equality and a balance between urban and rural settlement and between generations. The agreement also contains a list of over 200 projects envisaged in diverse areas of society.