Iceland’s finance minister objects to Vísir interview headline

Finance Minister Daði Már Kristófersson says a Vísir headline did not accurately reflect his remarks in an interview published Wednesday morning, mbl.is reports.

The headline read, “Icelandic households should be able to withstand the pain.” In a Facebook post, Kristófersson said he could not control how media outlets presented his words, but felt the headline did not represent the interview well.

He said he had argued that households in Iceland were generally in a strong position, with high purchasing power, a fully funded pension system, moderate debt and substantial equality.

However, he said persistent inflation remained a challenge and that tackling it would always cause short-term pain, whether through moderate wage agreements or government spending cuts. The long-term benefits of lower inflation were clear, he wrote, adding that Iceland should be able to withstand short-term pain for long-term gains.