Geir Haarde | |
---|---|
Ambassador of Iceland to the United States | |
Assumed office 23 February 2015 |
|
Preceded by | Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson |
23rd Prime Minister of Iceland | |
In office 15 June 2006 – 1 February 2009 |
|
President | Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson |
Preceded by | Halldór Ásgrímsson |
Succeeded by | Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir |
President of the Nordic Council | |
In office 1995–1995 |
|
Preceded by | Per Olof Håkansson |
Succeeded by | Knud Enggaard |
Personal details | |
Born |
Geir Hilmar Haarde 8 April 1951 Reykjavík, Iceland |
Political party | Independence Party |
Spouse(s) | Patricia Angelina (Divorced) Inga Jóna Þórðardóttir |
Alma mater |
Brandeis University Johns Hopkins University University of Minnesota, Twin Cities |
Religion | Lutheranism |
Geir Hilmar Haarde (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈceːir̥ ˈhɪlmar̥ ˈhɔrtɛ]; born 8 April 1951) is an Icelandic politician, who served as Prime Minister of Iceland from 15 June 2006 to 1 February 2009 and as President of the Nordic Council in 1995. Haarde was Chairman of the Icelandic Independence Party from 2005 to 2009. Since 23 February 2015 he has served as the Ambassador of Iceland to the United States and several Latin American countries.
Geir initially led a coalition between his party and the Progressive Party. After the 2007 parliamentary election, in which the Independence Party increased its share of the vote, Geir renewed his term as Prime Minister, leading a coalition between his party and the Social Democratic Alliance. That coalition resigned in January 2009 after widespread protests following an economic collapse in October 2008. In September 2010, Geir became the first Icelandic minister to be indicted for misconduct in office, and stood trial before the Landsdómur, a special court for such cases. Originally faced with six charges, he was convicted on one count.
Geir was born in the Icelandic capital Reykjavík, to Tomas Haarde, a Norwegian from Rogaland, and an Icelandic mother. He received his bachelor's degree in the United States at Brandeis University as a Wien Scholar, graduating with a degree in economics, then went on to earn two Master's degrees – in international relations from the School of Advanced International Studies of The Johns Hopkins University and in economics from the University of Minnesota.