New parliamentary ombudsman to be elected today at Althingi in Iceland

A new parliamentary ombudsman will be elected today at the Althingi, Iceland’s parliament. Four candidates applied for the position after it was announced as open for applications this summer. The applicants are Anna Tryggvadóttir, head of the parliamentary office; Hafsteinn Þór Hauksson, an associate professor at the University of Iceland’s law school; Kristín Benediktsdóttir, a professor at the same institution; and Reimar Pétursson, a lawyer.

A special advisory committee was established to assess the qualifications of the candidates and has made a recommendation to the Althingi’s presidium regarding the nomination. The ombudsman is elected for a term of four years. Skúli Magnússon, who has held the position since 2021, decided to step down after being appointed a judge at the Supreme Court.

A meeting of the Althingi’s presidium has been scheduled for ten o’clock, with the vote on the nomination expected to take place around noon.