MPs from the smallest party in Iceland’s parliament say that they are against any future neutral mediator in the Icesave issue coming from a Scandinavian country. They told media that they cannot support an intermediary who comes from a country which has put so much political pressure on Iceland to obey the wishes of the Netherlands and the UK.
It remains possible that the Icesave issue will be renegotiated between Iceland and the Netherlands and UK. The Icelandic government has been meeting with opposition leaders in an attempt to hammer out a joint position on the matter, as well as working out what the contract would look like in an ideal world, if agreed on by all Icelandic political parties.
If the contract does end up being renegotiated, pressure and enthusiasm are mounting for the idea of bringing in a neutral mediator from an unconnected country to steer the talks.
Left Green MP Lilja Mosesdottir has, for example, stated her preference for Joschka Fischer, the former German Foreign Minister to be offered the role.
Birgita Jonsdottir, an MP for The Movement (formerly the Citizens’ Movement) says the parties involved should look to France or even the USA; but that Iceland should resist the idea of a mediator from Denmark, Finland, Norway or Sweden. “We ask that he or she not come from Scandinavia. The same countries which have been putting the thumb screw on us over the Icesave issue,” she said.
If Icelandic MPs no longer trust Scandanavian countries, then WTF is going on. Iceland is just digging itself into a deeper and deeper hole as the months go by. Pretty soon, Iceland will view North Korea as the only neutral third party.
Sums Icelanders up. They only want a mediator that will be in their favour. Pure greed.
To Jimbo (original Jim):
>>>>If Icelandic MPs no longer trust Scandanavian countries
The problem with the Scandinavian countries is that they are seen in Iceland as having clearly taken sides with UK/Netherlands, without looking first at the actual agreement made to see if it was fair for Iceland.
Their position of allowing their loans to be tied to this unfair agreement, and therefore assisting UK/NL in bullying Iceland, has done a lot of damage to their reputation here. If they had come right out in the beginning, and offered help in mediating the dispute and offering fair solution, their standing would be much better.
The exceptions among the Nordic countries to this are of course the Faroe Islands, and now recently Norway, that seems to be finally maybe coming around.
We are still always fully committed to meet all our obligations. But the agreement with UK/NL must be fair and equitable to be acceptable in Iceland.
Jim wrote :
>If Icelandic MPs no longer trust Scandanavian countries, then WTF is going on
Lilja Mósesdóttir and the ( highly emotional ) Birgitta Jónsdóttir are hardly repsresenting all of Icelandic MPs but a fair point is being made.
An arbitrator in Norway or Switzerland would be best.
Not taking into account current almost knee jerk defense of fellow EU nations of Sweden, it is Norway and Switzerland that have experts and judges with knowledge of both EFTA and EU laws/regulations.
Mediation experts in most EU states only know it from EU side.
EEA is one market but EU and EFTA (Norway, Iceland) are slightly different. For example EFTA regulated entity has slightly different trust when it starts to work in EU member state; password scheme not completely automatic as it is for EU memberstate based financial institution, etc.
..and of course regulations for EFTA members under the EFTA Court not European Court of Justice. And instead of under EU commission are under EFTA Surveilliance Authority.
EU commission already did try its kangeroo court ” binding arbitration ” in November 2008 against Icelandic government and it was so clearly unfair that Icelandic government did with draw before the process convened+. Read specifics here :
http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/07/29/more-members-of-parliament-against-the-icesave-deal/#comment-87719 EFTA Surveillance Authority did distance them selves from opinion and process
http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/07/29/more-members-of-parliament-against-the-icesave-deal/#comment-87236 Analysis of what EU appointees opinion did say
+http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/07/29/more-members-of-parliament-against-the-icesave-deal/#comment-87419 withdrawal letter from Icelandic financial minister
If that’s how they feel about us then we can just take our money and go right back home and leave those ungrateful ****s to once again become europe’s poorhouse.
I think we should invite China.
For sure they will make all sides to respect the verdict :-)