Þorgerður says she loves Obba, rejects claims of a rift

Viðreisn leader Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir has rejected claims that she and Justice Minister Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir have a strained relationship, saying she loves her and considers her Iceland’s best justice minister in decades, mbl.is reported.

Speaking to Páll Magnússon on Bylgjan’s Sprengisandur programme on Sunday, Þorgerður said she and Þorbjörg did not always agree on priorities, but that she supported her.

Jón Gnarr said on mbl.is’s Spursmál programme on Friday that the ministers’ relationship was strained and that this had contributed to his decision to leave Viðreisn’s parliamentary group.

Þorgerður said she respected Jón despite his strong criticism of the party’s leadership. She said she would not engage in a public exchange with him, but took his criticism seriously and would discuss it within the party.

She described Jón’s departure as a blow to Viðreisn, while noting that he intended to continue supporting the government. She said the parliamentary group needed to unite and continue the government’s work.

Þorbjörg also rejected Jón’s description of the relationship in a conversation with mbl.is on Saturday, saying she did not recognise the claim that relations between her and Þorgerður were strained.