Freedom in the World 2016 - Iceland

Freedom Status: Free
Aggregate Score: 100
Freedom Rating: 1.0
Political Rights: 1
Civil Liberties: 1

Quick Facts

Capital: Reykjavik
Population: 330,828
GDP/capita: $52,111
Press Freedom Status: Free
Net Freedom Status: Free

OVERVIEW

A series of major strikes took place in Iceland during the year, and public and private employers struggled to reach agreements with unions about higher wages. Although the refugee crisis confronting Europe did not heavily affect Iceland, the issue of asylum dominated public dialogue in August and September, when the public launched an initiative to increase the government's annual quota for resettlement. Separately, the special prosecutor's office continued pursuing cases against former bank officials accused of malfeasance related to the 2008 financial crash. The office is scheduled to be abolished in 2016, with the district prosecutor absorbing its responsibilities.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 40 / 40 (+1)

A. Electoral Process: 12 / 12

The Icelandic constitution, adopted in 1944, vests power in a president, a prime minister, the 63-seat unicameral legislature (Althingi), and a judiciary. The Althingi, arguably the world's oldest parliament, was established in approximately 930 AD. The largely ceremonial president is directly elected for a four-year term, and the prime minister is appointed by the president. President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson was elected to his fifth term in 2012, defeating independent candidate Thóra Arnórsdóttir, a journalist for Iceland's National Broadcasting Service (RÚV).

The legislature is elected for four-year terms but can be dissolved for early elections under certain circumstances. In the 2013 parliamentary elections, the center-left ruling coalition of the Social Democratic Alliance (SDA) and the Left-Green Movement (VG) lost half of its total seats – the biggest loss by a governing coalition since Iceland's independence in 1944. Major voter concerns included austerity measures, taxation levels, and Iceland's application for membership in the European Union (EU), as well as a countrywide problem of high household debt. The Progressive Party and the Independence Party each won 19 seats, the SDA took 9 seats, the VG captured 7, and two new parties – Bright Future and the Pirate Party – secured 6 and 3 seats, respectively. Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, leader of the Progressives, took office as prime minister, heading a coalition government composed of his own party and the Independence Party.

Municipal elections were held in Reykjavík in 2014. Keeping a public promise announced in 2013, the comedian-turned-mayor Jón Gnarr did not run for reelection and, following the conclusion of the vote, disbanded his Best Party. The SDA, which won the most seats in the capital's city council, entered into a coalition with Bright Future, VG, and the Pirate Party.

The constitution, the election law of 2000, and related legislation establish a clear and detailed framework for conducting elections. An extensive constitutional reform process, launched by popular initiative in 2009, led to the drafting of a new constitution that, among other things, would harmonize the number of votes per seat in all constituencies. The draft was approved by referendum in 2012, but the initiative has since stalled in the legislature.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 16 / 16

Political parties are able to register and operate without undue interference. The center-right Independence Party dominated Icelandic politics until 2009, when Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir's SDA-VG coalition won a majority, but a center-right alliance between the Progressive Party and the Independence Party retook the parliament in 2013.

The banking crisis of 2008 spawned several new parties and movements, and the 2013 parliamentary elections were contested by 15 political parties; six gained representation in the Althingi. By comparison, seven parties had competed in 2009. In its five years of political activity, Gnarr's Best Party proved to be one of the most successful new groups, as did its sister party in the Althingi, Bright Future. Both developed coherent, left-leaning agendas. The Pirate Party – which holds three parliamentary seats and focuses on direct democracy and internet freedom – remained the most popular political party in 2015, according to independent polls.

Foreigners can vote in municipal elections if they have been residents for at least five years, or three years if they are citizens of Nordic countries.

C. Functioning of Government: 12 / 12 (+1)

In March 2015, the foreign ministry announced plans to end Iceland's accession talks with the EU. The ruling coalition that took power in 2013 has maintained strong opposition to EU membership, particularly voicing disagreement with EU regulations on fishery and agriculture. A previous attempt to withdraw Iceland's bid failed in 2014 amid public demonstrations demanding that the decision be put to a referendum. The government did not seek a referendum or parliamentary approval before the March 2015 announcement.

Corruption is not a pervasive problem in Iceland, which was ranked 13 out of 168 countries and territories surveyed in Transparency International's 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index. However, the country has experienced a number of fraud scandals in recent years. The office of the special prosecutor, established in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse to investigate corruption, has been remarkably successful in bringing bankers and politicians to trial for their role in the crash. Icelandic courts found several former banking executives guilty of fraud and market manipulation in 2015, including the former CEO and a former chairman of Kaupthing Bank, which the government took over in 2008. In June, the parliament approved measures to restructure the prosecutorial system, abolishing the office of the special prosecutor and transferring its responsibilities to the district prosecutor, an office that also handles police misconduct. The changes will go into effect in 2016.

A political scandal involving a fabricated memorandum led to Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir's resignation from her post as interior minister in 2014. The memorandum, leaked from the ministry in 2013, contained false information about Tony Omos, a Nigerian asylum seeker whose potential deportation had sparked protests across Iceland. The memo had alleged that authorities suspected Omos of criminal behavior, which many construed as an attempt to influence his asylum case. In 2014, Kristjánsdóttir's personal assistant admitted to leaking the memo and was convicted of a breach of confidentiality following a state investigation. In January 2015, the parliamentary ombudsman published a report criticizing Kristjánsdóttir's conduct during the inquiry into the leak, noting that she had jeopardized the independence of investigations by communicating with the Reykjavík police chief. Also in January, several legislators – including fellow members of the Independence Party – called for Kristjánsdóttir's resignation from the Althingi, but she returned to her duties later in the year, following a short leave.

Civil Liberties: 60 / 60

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 16 / 16

The constitution guarantees freedom of speech and of the press. In 2010, the parliament unanimously passed the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative, which mandates the establishment of robust free speech and press freedom laws, particularly for the protection of investigative journalists and outlets. Iceland's print publications are diverse and include both independent and party-affiliated newspapers. The autonomous RÚV competes with private radio and television stations. Private media ownership is concentrated, with the media company 365 controlling most of the major private television and radio outlets as well as the free newspaper Frettabladid, which enjoys the highest circulation in the print market. Internet access is unrestricted.

The constitution provides for freedom of religion, with equal protection under the law for different religions groups. About three-quarters of Icelanders belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The state supports the church through a special tax, which citizens can choose to direct to the University of Iceland instead. A long-planned mosque in Reykjavík gained attention in the May 2014 municipal elections when Progressive mayoral candidate Sveinbjörg Birna Sveinbjörnsdóttir spoke out against the use of public lands for the building. Permission to construct the mosque was requested in 1999 but only granted in 2013. Close to 900 individuals identifying as Muslim lived in Iceland as of 2015. In November, leaders of the construction effort unveiled the final design of the planned mosque. That month, President Grímsson revealed that the government of Saudi Arabia had donated approximately $1 million to aid construction.

A 2008 law requires the teaching of theology in grades 1 through 10. Academic freedom is respected, and the education system is free of excessive political involvement.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 12 / 12

Freedoms of association and peaceful assembly are generally upheld. Many nongovernmental organizations operate freely and enjoy extensive government cooperation.

The labor movement is robust, with more than 80 percent of all eligible workers belonging to unions. All unions have the right to strike, with the exception of the National Police Federation. The year 2015 featured high levels of activism by unions representing both public and private sector employees. In October, local media reported that police officers had orchestrated a number of actions to enhance their collective bargaining capacity, including refraining from issuing traffic tickets and taking leaves en masse in order to pressure the government to respond to their concerns. Unions representing workers in the academic, health care, tourism, and fisheries sectors engaged in continuous limited strike actions in the first half of the year, focusing particularly on pay increases. In April, the Federation of General and Special Workers approved plans to hold a general strike, leading employers in some private industries to make concessions. However, labor activity in other sectors, including the medical and public sectors, continued throughout the year; by October, more than 3,500 civil servants and 158 state agencies were involved in a coordinated strike action.

F. Rule of Law: 16 / 16

The judiciary is independent. The law does not provide for trial by jury, but many trials and appeals use panels of several judges. Prison conditions generally meet international standards.

The constitution states that all people shall be treated equally before the law, regardless of sex, religion, ethnic origin, race, or other status. Beginning in August, discontent about Iceland's quota for refugee resettlement – capped at 50 individuals on an annual basis – led to significant public pressure on the government. By September, more than 12,000 Icelanders had signed a letter to the welfare ministry calling for a higher quota, with many signatories offering to provide material aid for refugees. The parliament doubled the quota within weeks.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 16 / 16

Freedom of movement is constitutionally protected and respected in practice. Women have equal rights under law, and more than 80 percent of women participate in the workforce. However, a pay gap exists between men and women despite laws designed to prevent disparities. In the 2013 elections, women took 40 percent of seats in the Althingi. In 2009, Sigurðardóttir became Iceland's first female prime minister and the world's first openly lesbian head of government.

The parliament unanimously passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage in 2010, and a 2006 law established full and equal rights for same-sex couples in matters of adoption and assisted pregnancy. A comprehensive law on transgender issues adopted in 2012 aimed to simplify legal issues pertaining to gender reassignment surgery, to ensure full and equal rights for transgender people, and to guarantee relevant health care.

The Althingi passed a law criminalizing human trafficking in 2009.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received
Y = Best Possible Score
Z = Change from Previous Year