Progressive Party
Framsóknarflokkurinn |
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Chairperson | Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson |
Vice-chairperson | Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir |
Leader of the parliamentary group | Þórunn Egilsdóttir |
Chairperson of the municipal council | Elín Líndal |
Founded | 16 December 1916 |
Merger of | |
Headquarters | Hverfisgata 33, 101 Reykjavík |
Youth wing | Association of Young People in the Progressive Party |
Ideology |
Agrarianism Euroscepticism Populism |
Political position | Centre-right |
European affiliation | None |
International affiliation | Liberal International |
Colours | Green |
Seats in the Althing |
8 / 63
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Website | |
www |
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The Progressive Party (Icelandic: Framsóknarflokkurinn, FSF) is a centre-right, populist and agrarianpolitical party in Iceland.
Current chairman of the party is Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson who was elected on 2 October 2016. His predecessor was Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, who was elected on 18 January 2009 and was Prime Minister of Iceland from 23 May 2013 to 5 April 2016.
The Progressive Party was founded to represent Iceland's farmer class, which went from being dominant from settlement to the late 19th century to rapidly dwindling in the early 20th century as a result of industrialization and urbanization. Its primary support still comes from the rural areas of Iceland and its policy roots still stem from its origin as an agrarian party, although it has since come to self-identify as a liberal party, though this is disputed outside of the party. It was founded in 1916 as a merger of two agrarian parties, the Farmers' Party (Bændaflokkur) and the Independent Farmers (Óháðir bændur). In 1956 the party almost agreed to an aborted merger with the Social Democratic Party.
Throughout Iceland's history as a self-governing and independent nation, the Progressive Party has most often been the second largest political party in the country. It has often joined government coalitions with either the Independence Party on the centre-right, or with centre-left parties. The party was a coalition partner to the Independence Party during the period 1995 to 2007.