nelson
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Post by nelson on Jul 5, 2021 9:48:12 GMT
In addition to its normal meaning Icelandic also uses "conservative" and "liberal" to denote the protectionist/nationalist vs. free market/"globalist" cleavage, which also includes whether the whole country should be populated, whether "rural lifestyle" should be protected etc. so these issues take on a cultural dimension. Iceland does have a state church, and negative attitudes to Islam is a factor, as is the extent of immigration (a quarter of their workforce are immigrants and the number is growing, incl. in smaller communities in the SW and NE). The People's Party is generally anti-immigration, pro-rural lifestyle, anti-globalization, anti-foreign influence (incl. the hated EU, of course), pro-state church, pro-strict language policies and upholding a homogenous national culture, anti-"woke"/PC and pro-alcohol monopoly. They are fairly low key/dog whistling about the more controversial of these things, but nevertheless basically a party for people who are economically leftist (mainly because they're poor, chronically ill or disabled), but dislike the left/"progressives" as elitist and not sharing their values. ... It's not completely correct there are no black people in Iceland, there are some refugees, adoptees (and their children) and descendants of AA soldiers, not that being anti-Black is much of a factor in Nordic xenophobia/racism. It's all about Islamophobia and opposition to "domineering and aggressive clan cultures". Iceland does start to have the first problems with ethnic Icelanders removing their children from immigrant heavy schools etc. There are more than one prison in Iceland, until recently they only had 1.5 murders a year on average, but it's a bit higher now and some murders and assaults are related to the drug trade - it's no longer just "domestic violence among old drunks gone to far". They also have organized crime incl. branches of international biker gangs and some Asian, Baltic and Polish groups. "Police estimate that 15 organized crime groups operate in Iceland, Morgunblaðið reports. Organized crime activity has been rapidly on the rise in the country in recent years."icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/politics_and_society/2021/02/26/fighting_organized_crime_in_iceland/So the Icelandic People’s Party is the Icelandic version of the Katter’s Australian Party? There are similarities on a number of issues and the general parochial outlook, but the People’s Party is left wing on welfare and poverty alleviation while Katter is quite fiscally conservative. |
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nelson
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Post by nelson on Aug 2, 2021 11:25:34 GMT
Gallup's July poll with changes from June.
Centre-left: 38.3 (+0.8)
Left Greens 13.8 (-0.9)
SocDems 12.3 (+2.4)
Pirates 12.2 (-0.7)
Liberal centre-right:
Reform 8.7 (-2.2)
Protectionist centre-right: 43.4 (+1.5)
Independence Party 24.1 (nc)
Progress Party 11.9 (+1.6)
Centre 7.4 (-0.1)
Socialists 5.4 (nc)
People's Party 4.0 (-0.2)
Others 0.2 (+0.1)
...
Anti-protectionist/"liberal" parties: 33.2 (-0.5)
SDA 12.3 (+2.4)
Pirates 12.2 (-0.7)
Reform 8.7 (-2.2)
Not sure how informative this poll is as the spike in Corona cases after the opening up on 1 July and subsequent reintroduction of restrictions means that especially LG may have done a lot better in the first half of the month than the latter. But SDA have rebounded after the various feuds unleashed by the primaries are no longer in the media, Reform is being punished for the continuing feud between its dethroned (and allegedly bullied) party founder Benedikt J. and his replacement as chairman ex-IP deputy leader Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir (who has gradually marginalized its more "left leaning"/Social Liberal people). Not quite sure why Progress is gaining (it's their best Gallup poll since December 2018), but could of course just be an outlier. All other changes below MoE. The "populist opposition" hasn't benefitted for their harsh criticism of the government on Corona and poverty alleviation yet, but it's still early days wrt the pandemic. Hopefully we'll start to get polls with shorter intervals in the run-up to the election rather than an August poll.
Most likely government:
LG/SDA/Pirates/Progress = 50.2%
With the People's Party below the threshold and Progress' rural overrepresentation that would give the four parties a solid majority. Unless the Left Green leadership is tone deaf enough to continue the current government that would likely be the only workable coalition on those numbers.
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nelson
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Post by nelson on Aug 2, 2021 11:35:30 GMT
Tourism is the single biggest industry and source of private sector employment in the country so you can't really blame the government for trying to loosen the restrictions in the main tourist season imo.
But after they loosened the restrictions on 1 July it immediately caused a spike in cases, t's especially the Delta variant that's spreading and a lot of the cases are people that have already been vaccinated. It's not just tourists, but also Icelanders returning from vacations abroad. This has led to heavy criticism of the government and with the election coming up it'll likely have an effect (the government has generally been credited with handling the pandemic well). The tourist industry employs a lot of foreigners without voting rights and is unpopular with some segments of the population, so it may be a net voter winner for the opposition. Since the minister of health and the PM are both from the Left Greens it'll likely affect them more than the other governing parties.
People's Party leader Inga Sæland has demanded the government steps down (as a true isolationist she wanted to close the borders and put all travellers in quarantine right from the start of the pandemic), while ex-Libertarian, Thatcher admirer and serial "entrepreneur"/bankruptcy rider (probably not a word in English..) turned Leader of the Revolution Socialists Gunnar Smári Egilsson merely demands an apology on behalf of the nation. They both accuse the government of prioritizing the tourist industry over the people and claim Iceland should have followed the example of New Zealand. The Pirates also want an apology, but say they share part of the blame for not opposing the loosening of restrictions because it would have been unpopular and it was election time. The more mainstream opposition parties have kept a lower profile, they have ties to the tourism industry (Reform, Centre) or trade unions with members working in it (SDA), so it's not as clear cut an issue for them. Though I could see Centre joining the critics if things get worse. Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson is hardly known for letting facts and fairness get in the way if he senses an opportunity and they're polling badly with Progress having regained a lot of rural voters since New Years.
PM Katrín Jakobsdóttir unsurprisingly maintains that Iceland has handleded the pandemic better than most countries and that the criticism is not objective/factual. Praising the resilience of the people and professionalism of front line health workers and experts.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Aug 2, 2021 17:52:49 GMT
There are many reasons that Iceland couldn't have followed NZ, not least because it is a through route and not a cul-de-sac. And the virus was identified in Iceland quite early-it was after all the Icelandic authorities who rumbled what was going on in the Tyrol after their first cases back on the island.
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Post by Merseymike on Aug 2, 2021 17:58:53 GMT
There are many reasons that Iceland couldn't have followed NZ, not least because it is a through route and not a cul-de-sac. And the virus was identified in Iceland quite early-it was after all the Icelandic authorities who rumbled what was going on in the Tyrol after their first cases back on the island. Economically it would have been a challenge too. |
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nelson
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Post by nelson on Aug 2, 2021 18:00:52 GMT
There are many reasons that Iceland couldn't have followed NZ, not least because it is a through route and not a cul-de-sac. And the virus was identified in Iceland quite early-it was after all the Icelandic authorities who rumbled what was going on in the Tyrol after their first cases back on the island. Well, populists are gonna populist. |
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Post by Adam in Stroud on Aug 2, 2021 18:37:09 GMT
Bankruptcy-rider is not a phrase I've ever heard in English, nelson, but I'm going to try to make it one from now on. |
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john07
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Post by john07 on Aug 2, 2021 21:45:39 GMT
Bankruptcy-rider is not a phrase I've ever heard in English, nelson, but I'm going to try to make it one from now on. Can someone translate? |
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nelson
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Post by nelson on Aug 6, 2021 11:12:41 GMT
IP Crown Princess and Minister of Justice Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir (30) has made some thinly veiled criticism of the government's reintroduction of Corona restrictions as harming businesses. It'll be interesting if IP will try to "ride two horses" during the campaign, the Minister of Health is from the Left Greens and it'll be tempting for them to make LG own the most unpopular elements of the restrictions.
In other news the Pirate Party's founder, the self-styled "poetician" Birgitta Jónsdóttir (54) has now joined the Socialists, as has the economist Þór Saari (61), who represented The Citizens' Movement, The Movement and briefly Dawn (a strange fusion of both the citizen movement groups and a right wing populist party) in parliament and later ran unsuccessfully for the Pirates. It seems all the "progressive" cranks and misfits are drifting towards the Socialists, which will likely benefit the Pirate Party as they don't have to bother with them.
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Aug 6, 2021 22:48:44 GMT
IP Crown Princess and Minister of Justice Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir (30) has made some thinly veiled criticism of the government's reintroduction of Corona restrictions as harming businesses. It'll be interesting if IP will try to "ride two horses" during the campaign, the Minister of Health is from the Left Greens and it'll be tempting for them to make LG own the most unpopular elements of the restrictions. In other news the Pirate Party's founder, the self-styled "poetician" Birgitta Jónsdóttir (54) has now joined the Socialists, as has the economist Þór Saari (61), who represented The Citizens' Movement, The Movement and briefly Dawn (a strange fusion of both the citizen movement groups and a right wing populist party) in parliament and later ran unsuccessfully for the Pirates. It seems all the "progressive" cranks and misfits are drifting towards the Socialists, which will likely benefit the Pirate Party as they don't have to bother with them. I get the feeling from your descriptions that you hold all of these people in exactly the esteem they deserve. |
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nelson
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Post by nelson on Aug 8, 2021 21:39:51 GMT
Disgraced former PM and current Centre leader Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson eating a pack of raw Icelandic ground beef during a campaign tour to Eastern Iceland after praising it as superior to imported products.
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Post by rcronald on Aug 9, 2021 5:53:20 GMT
Disgraced former PM and current Centre leader Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson eating a pack of raw Icelandic ground beef during a campaign tour to Eastern Iceland after praising it as superior to imported products. I hope for him that his stomach is stronger then mine….. |
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Post by John Chanin on Aug 9, 2021 7:00:13 GMT
Disgraced former PM and current Centre leader Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson eating a pack of raw Icelandic ground beef during a campaign tour to Eastern Iceland after praising it as superior to imported products. I hope for him that his stomach is stronger then mine….. What I remember as the typical Icelandic snack is saltfiskur or hardfiskur(dried salted cod, or cod jerky) Oh and ice cream at petrol stations, particularly blueberry flavour |
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Post by Merseymike on Aug 9, 2021 7:06:23 GMT
Disgraced former PM and current Centre leader Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson eating a pack of raw Icelandic ground beef during a campaign tour to Eastern Iceland after praising it as superior to imported products. I hope for him that his stomach is stronger then mine….. Steak tartare is ground meat eaten raw with additional seasonings. Usually horse. Love it! A traditional Icelandic dish is hakarl -fermented, rotting shark, and you really do have to taste Brennivin, the local firewater as it defies description. Its great for an Icelandic winter though |
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Post by rcronald on Aug 9, 2021 8:18:33 GMT
I hope for him that his stomach is stronger then mine….. Steak tartare is ground meat eaten raw with additional seasonings. Usually horse. Love it! A traditional Icelandic dish is hakarl -fermented, rotting shark, and you really do have to taste Brennivin, the local firewater as it defies description. Its great for an Icelandic winter though Yes, but to take a ground beef from a sealed pack seems a bit adventurous for the stomach…. |
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The Bishop
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Post by The Bishop on Aug 9, 2021 10:54:03 GMT
I hope for him that his stomach is stronger then mine….. Steak tartare is ground meat eaten raw with additional seasonings. Usually horse. Love it! A traditional Icelandic dish is hakarl -fermented, rotting shark, and you really do have to taste Brennivin, the local firewater as it defies description. Its great for an Icelandic winter though I will try almost anything once, but maybe draw the line there  |
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Post by Merseymike on Aug 9, 2021 13:10:51 GMT
Steak tartare is ground meat eaten raw with additional seasonings. Usually horse. Love it! A traditional Icelandic dish is hakarl -fermented, rotting shark, and you really do have to taste Brennivin, the local firewater as it defies description. Its great for an Icelandic winter though I will try almost anything once, but maybe draw the line there I have risked it. The smell of ammonia overpowers all. |
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Aug 9, 2021 17:28:33 GMT
I will try almost anything once, but maybe draw the line there I have risked it. The smell of ammonia overpowers all. I found the smell was worse than the taste. Although the taste wasn't great either. However, nothing prepared me for showers smelling of eggs! |
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Post by Merseymike on Aug 9, 2021 17:43:02 GMT
I have risked it. The smell of ammonia overpowers all. I found the smell was worse than the taste. Although the taste wasn't great either. However, nothing prepared me for showers smelling of eggs! Indeed - but then hot water and central heating is essentially free so I'm sure as long as you use lots of shower gel it's something I could live with! Did you try a lamb hot dog? |
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Aug 9, 2021 19:05:18 GMT
I found the smell was worse than the taste. Although the taste wasn't great either. However, nothing prepared me for showers smelling of eggs! Indeed - but then hot water and central heating is essentially free so I'm sure as long as you use lots of shower gel it's something I could live with! Did you try a lamb hot dog? Sadly not. But the standard hot dogs are pretty good. |
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