Iceland’s prime minister schedules nine public listening meetings

Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir will hold nine public listening meetings across Iceland in the coming weeks, mbl.is reports. The meetings will take place ahead of the 29 August referendum on negotiations over Iceland’s membership of the European Union.

Frostadóttir announced the meetings in a Facebook post published on Sunday. The first will be held in Reykjanesbær on Tuesday evening, while the final meeting will take place in Reykjavík on 26 August, three days before the referendum.

“In the coming weeks, I intend to hold listening meetings across the country to hear different views and have an open conversation about Iceland’s interests,” Frostadóttir wrote.

She said the meetings would seek public views on the opportunities and challenges facing Iceland, as well as how the government should respond to the referendum result.

“What are the opportunities? What are the concerns? How do we move forward with the guidance of the nation on 29 August? To strengthen Iceland,” she wrote.

Meeting schedule

Reykjanesbær, Fjölbrautaskóli Suðurnesja, 11 August at 8.30pm.

Eskifjörður, Eskifjarðarskóli, 12 August at 8.30pm.

Djúpivogur, Langabúð, 13 August at 8.30am.

Akureyri, Hamar community hall of Þór, 16 August at noon.

Patreksfjörður, Verbúðin, 18 August at noon.

Borgarfjörður, Brún community hall in Bæjarsveit, 18 August at 8pm.

Selfoss, the town square in the new town centre, 24 August at 5pm.

Kópavogur, Salurinn, 24 August at 8pm.

Reykjavík, venue to be announced, 26 August at 5.30pm.

Frostadóttir will also attend the Hólahátíð festival in Skagafjörður and travel to Hornafjörður next week for a government working meeting.