Guðni Th. Jóhannesson holds final state council meeting at Bessastaðir as President of Iceland

At Bessastaðir today, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson held his final state council meeting as the President of Iceland. Government ministers gathered for a little over an hour to express their farewells, as Guðni officially steps down from office at midnight.

Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson described the meeting as both a formal gathering rooted in tradition and a significant farewell moment in the relationship between the government and the presidency. Benediktsson emphasized gratitude for the collaborative efforts during Guðni’s presidency and noted that he has been a successful and popular president among the populace, expressing pride in his tenure.

Guðni faced complex political challenges right from the start of his presidency in August 2016. The role of the president is crucial, particularly during difficult times in government formation. Following Guðni’s election, early parliamentary elections were called, and attempts to form a government stalled, leading to all party leaders stepping back from negotiations. Eventually, in January the following year, Bjarni Benediktsson managed to form a government with the Independence Party, Bright Future, and Reform Party, but this coalition collapsed within a year.

In late December 2016, after extensive failed negotiations involving five political parties, Guðni consented to dissolve parliament and call for new elections, which took place in late October 2017. By the end of November that year, a new coalition government was formed by the Left-Green Movement, Progressive Party, and the Independence Party, with Katrín Jakobsdóttir as Prime Minister. The same parties still form the government, and Bjarni has now returned as Prime Minister after Katrín stepped down in April and ran for president.