Sigmundur Davíð says foreign minister overplayed her UN speech

Centre Party leader Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson says Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir overplayed her hand in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, and questions whether its presentation was tactically wise, mbl.is reported.

Gunnarsdóttir’s speech, delivered in New York on Saturday, drew attention from international media including Al Jazeera, The Independent and the Associated Press. Videos featuring excerpts from the address have also appeared on YouTube channels and attracted hundreds of thousands of views.

In her speech, Gunnarsdóttir said states should not be allowed to respect international law only when it suits them. She criticised conditions in Gaza, saying civilian suffering continued despite peace plans and a UN Security Council resolution.

She called world leaders who refused to negotiate a lasting peace, obstructed humanitarian aid or played down international law “moral cowards”. She was referring to remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the General Assembly on Thursday.

Gunnarsdóttir also stressed that compliance with international law and respect for national sovereignty were particularly important for small states such as Iceland. “Every time serious violations of the rules set by the international community are committed without consequences, the likelihood of them being repeated increases,” she said.

Sigmundur Davíð said the minister, and by extension the government, was treating Iceland’s position in international affairs too casually. He said Iceland could have influence as a small country and a voice for peace, but argued that the government was using that position to advance its own political views.

He said Gunnarsdóttir had two possible approaches: to state Iceland’s general position cautiously without upsetting allies, or to speak forcefully about issues other leaders avoided. In his view, she did neither.

“Instead, the worst course was taken,” he said, arguing that she neither raised issues others were afraid to address nor protected Iceland’s standing as a small country friendly with all. He said she had tried to outdo others with claims that did not always withstand scrutiny and could worsen the problems.

Sigmundur Davíð also criticised her remarks on climate change and refugees, describing her argument as “all packaging”. He said he disagreed with the picture she presented of the reasons people migrate to Europe.