President of Iceland: Gordon Brown should apologise

Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, the President of Iceland, stated in an interview with Wall Street Journal, that Gordon Brown, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, should apologise to Icelanders for actions he took in October 2008.

“If Gordon Brown wants to be an honorable man, he should apologise for telling the world that Iceland is a bankrupt country,” said Grimsson.

Brown’s actions did very little to help Iceland’s situation, foreign companies ceased dealing with Icelandic counterparts, and the IMF considered withholding a portion of its bailout package.

In addition to Grimsson’s opinion on Brown’s actions, the interview also focuses on the Icesave issue and his decision to refuse the Icesave Act approval in January 2010. Grimsson explained that from a political and constitutional point of view,  it was the most important decision he has made during his career and that it consequently saved Iceland’s taxpayers a lot of money.

Additionally, the interview also discusses Iceland’s negotiations with the European Union. Grimsson said the main reason why Iceland applied for EU membership was due to the fact that after the collapse of its banking system, it seemed impossible in the long run for the country to keep its own currency.

However, Grimsson continued, “We’ve seen euro-zone countries moving from one crisis to another. That has changed the picture.” He said it must be possible for Iceland to join the European Union without adopting the euro, and referred to Poland and Denmark as examples.

To read the full interview, click here.

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