Liberal Party (Iceland)
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Liberal Party
Frjálslyndi flokkurinn |
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|---|---|
 |
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| Chairperson | Sigurjón Þórðarson |
| Vice-chairperson | Ásta Hafberg |
| Founded | November 28, 1998 |
| Dissolved | March 18, 2012 |
| Split from | Independence Party |
| Succeeded by | Dawn |
| Headquarters | Lyngháls 3, 110 Reykjavík |
| Ideology |
|
| Political position | Centre-right |
| Colours | Blue and White |
| Seats in the Althing |
0 / 63
|
The Liberal Party (Icelandic: Frjálslyndi flokkurinn) was a liberal political party in Iceland. Its main issue was fisheries policy and it drew its main support from coastal villages. It has no seats in the Althing, having lost its four seats at the 2009 election.
The Liberal Party was founded by former Independence Party MP Sverrir Hermannsson in 1998. It was founded primarily in opposition to the fishing quota, and became a protest vote. In the following year's election, the party won two seats out of 63. This climbed to four in 2003: a level that was maintained at the 2007 election. However, the party lost all its parliamentary representation in 2009, after a financial crisis hit the country.
The party was a strong supporter of the free market, against subsidies and monopolies, and in favour of civil liberties. It was oriented particularly towards the fishing industry and campaigns for the coastal electorate. It advocated the redistribution of fishing rights, as few big fishing companies had bought up around 70% of all quotas. While Reykjavíkan large-scale fisheries became rich, some coastal villages that were dependent on draught became impoverished. The party chairman is Sigurjón Þórðarson, and he decided in March 2012 to merge his party together with the new political party named Dawn. For the moment it is however a bit unclear if the party function as a wing fraction within the new party, or if the structures have been completely merged. It is however clear, that the previous Liberal Party candidates now will run the 2013 Icelandic parliamentary election for the new Dawn party.
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