Jón Gnarr predicts narrow yes victory and condemns abuse

Jón Gnarr, a member of parliament for Viðreisn, said he was hopeful that the yes side would win Iceland’s referendum, while calling threats, violence and misogyny during the campaign “completely unacceptable”, mbl.is reported.

“My feeling at this moment is that yes will be just above the halfway mark,” Gnarr said at the yes campaign’s election-night gathering at Hafnarhús. He repeated “yes, yes, yes” before laughing.

Asked how the campaign had shifted over recent months, Gnarr said he felt it had progressed relatively steadily. What had disturbed him, he said, was “a certain evil in certain people” and behaviour in Icelandic society involving violence and misogyny.

“I find it unacceptable, and I don’t think that represents us Icelanders,” he said.

Gnarr referred to Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir’s account of threats made against her in connection with the referendum.

“What Þorgerður Katrín has talked about, what she has been subjected to, and what many women in politics are facing, simply in comment sections and things like that, is something we need to address,” he said.

Despite those concerns, Gnarr said the campaign had been largely focused on issues. Both opponents and supporters, he said, had mostly presented arguments and discussed matters substantively.

He also described the referendum as an important democratic exercise for Icelanders, saying democracy was rare and that most of the world’s population did not live under democratic rule.

Gnarr said he planned to stay awake for the final results. After experiencing a drop in tension the previous day, he had slept for 12 hours and expected to remain awake for some time, he said, laughing.