Guðni Th. Jóhannesson steps down as President of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir to take office tomorrow

Today marks the final day in office for Guðni Th. Jóhannesson as the President of Iceland, with his term concluding at midnight. Following this, the powers of the presidency will be assumed by the acting officials. A state council meeting commenced at Bessastaðir at 2 PM.

In his New Year’s address, Guðni unexpectedly announced that he would not seek re-election after completing two terms. The race for the presidency saw a record twelve candidates, with Halla Tómasdóttir emerging victorious. She will be formally inducted into office in a ceremony at the parliament tomorrow.

At the state council today, Guðni will reaffirm laws that he has previously signed before bidding farewell to the government in a formal manner. His presidency has spanned three prime ministers: Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson from the Progressive Party when he took office in 2016, followed by Bjarni Benediktsson from the Independence Party, and most recently, Katrín Jakobsdóttir from the Left-Green Movement.

As tradition dictates, Guðni’s presidential duties will end at midnight, at which point the acting powers will be held by the Speaker of the Alþingi, the Prime Minister, and the President of the Supreme Court until Halla takes her oath of office tomorrow.

Guðni, alongside his wife Eliza Reid and their children, is moving from Bessastaðir to a home they have built at Álftanes. An interview with Guðni reflecting on his presidency will be aired tonight at 9:40 PM.

Halla Tómasdóttir’s official inauguration will welcome the public to Austurvöllur, where two large screens will broadcast RÚV’s coverage from the cathedral and parliament. After taking her oath, she will honor her homeland from the parliament balcony, accompanied by a performance from the Reykjavik brass band.