It is most likely that the new Icelandic ministers for trade and for justice will not be MPs, Stod 2 news reported last night. University of Iceland economics professor Gylfi Magnusson and Bifrost University professor Bryndis Hlodversdottir are considered the most likely candidates.
According to Stod 2 news, the still unannounced new government is particularly keen to have a woman as Minister for Justice; and Hlodversdottir apparently fits the bill. Meanwhile, Magnusson has been a regular and outspoken media feature since the banking collapse. He has a doctorate in economics from Yale University in the USA and is one of the many economists to predict the crash long before it happened.
Before Magnusson began his teaching and research career at the University of Iceland, he was a Morgunbladid journalist for several summers and has also taught at Yale and at an Icelandic further education college.
Hlodversdottir is a lawyer by training and was a Social Democrat MP before she quit to take up an academic career.
[…] die Bericht von IceNews und Iceland […]
It’s a good wind up though.
Made me laugh
>I would be very grateful to any information were I could contact the right folks so I could apply for some work in this great new industry.
I’m going to fall for this wind-up and point out that even if the quota is not overturned by the incoming government (probably just after they ditch the Central Bank governor), unemployment has and will shoot up in Iceland. There’s no way they’ll employ you.
Of course, if you were willing to pay for a hunting safari, they might be happy to let you man the harpoon. Then again, maybe not as it’s one thing to commericially hunt, but if it looks like they’re doing it for sport that’d be very bad press.
Perhaps you should learn Japanese? Oh, and alligators are not mammals.
Hello Iceland !!
I just surfed into this forum
I am looking for some information and wondered if any of you seemingly knowledgeable people could help me?
I read in the news that you guys are about to start commercial whaling again right
For myself who is a prolific hunter i find this very interesting!!
I’ve shot most mammals on this planet including – deer, raccoons,wild boar,moose,foxes, alligators and other smaller critters. BUT nothing larger than a big old god dam grizzly bear!
Now I passed through Iceland about 20 years ago on my way to Greenland (for a bit of seal hunting)
and i really liked your Country.
I see now after your economic crisis its a lot cheaper to visit Iceland now!
Now i am just about due to take a year off work in the good old U.S of A .
And i fancy a bit of traveling .
To tell you the truth i am sick of all this Obama superstar nonsense and need to get away!
Alright ,let me cut to the chase .
I read a in article that this new whaling venture of yours is about to create around 300 jobs, right?
I would be very grateful to any information were I could contact the right folks so I could apply for some work in this great new industry.
I did a few months at sea when i was younger, so i know my way round a fishing vessel.
If I could get to work on one of your whaling vessels this would be like a dream come true for me!
Whale hunting and getting paid for it, a opportunity too good to miss,right?
It’s a sensible decision to control the whales numbers .
Whales are like parasites ,they like seals eat too much fish .
Its the right time to take some of them out!
They reckon some of those fin whales can be almost 100 foot long! WOW
Can you just imagine been strapped in at the front of the boat , the tide crashing against you
As the boat bounces up and down, your at the ready to stick one of those big old fin whales with the harpoon.
I am getting a adrenalin rush just thinking about it!
Also whale meat tastes better than buffalo steak.
I am heard that your new government could overturn the new whaling rule(sounds like something Saint Obama would do) is there any truth in that?
So if any of you good guys could find me some contact information it would be most appreciated.
Thankyou Ahab
@ Question?
I think you too are confusing “Fisy” and myself “fishy”
Yes, anyway constructive issues raised in your post.
p.s You have been away for sometime. Good to see you posting on this forum again
EVEN BAUGUR FALLED TODAY !
I WENT OUT WITH 7 FRIENDS LAST EVENING TO HAVE SOME BEERS. I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO IS WORKING, THE REST GOT ALL UNEMPLOYED THESE DAYS.
THE ICELANDIC SITUATION IS VERY SERIOUS. MORE SERIOUS THAN ANYONE ON IN THIS COUNTRY THOUGT.
THE REAL PROBLEM HERE IS THAT ICELAND IS NOT ONLY FACING CRISIS AND COMPLETE RUIN, BUT NOW WE ARE SEEING THAT THE COUNTRY SUFFERS ALSO OF A PROFOUND POLITICAL CRISIS.
WHAT I AM SEEING HERE IS THAT ICELANDERS ARE NOT READY TO SOLVE THIS SITUATION, THERE IS A LOT OF LACK OF KNOWLEDGE IN ECONOMICAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES.
ICELAND IS SINKING, SAID AN ICELANDIC FRIEND WHO LIVES NOW IN CANADA.
I AM GOING TO FUND AN ASSOCIATION FOR COLLECTING TOYS FOR ICELANDIC CHILDREN NEXT XMAS, ANOTHER ASSOCIATION FOR COLLECTING MEDICINES AND CLOTHES FOR OLD PEOPLE AND ANOTHER FOR COLLECTING BOOKS AND SCHOOL MATERIALS FOR POOR ICELANDIC CHILDREN.
LETS HELP THE POOR ICELANDIC FAMILIES AND THE CHILDREN !!, THEY ARE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS!!
THE WORLD DID NOT DO VERY WELL FOR SOMALIA AND ETHIOPIA, NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE WITH ICELAND!!! LET´S SHOW OUR SOLIDARITY!!
PEACE
@Terry
Interesting article.
It is no surprise that the EU right now is showing its friendliest face: they are hoping to give support to the pro EU politicians in the upcoming icelandic election by painting a bright picture of easy entrance. They did something similar towards Serbia when Serbia was forced to accept an independent Kosovo.
In practice negotiations (if they would start), would be difficult for Iceland. For instance, at which rate would the euro be introduced? Probably not 150 kr/euro but more likely 280 kr/euro.
Moreover iceland would be forced to make concessions in other fields too.
On top of this the EU would not be unhappy to provoke a row with Turkey, if Iceland would be allowed to join together with Croatia in 2011, overtaking Turkey. Turkey would be pissed (especially since Erdogan has made threats against the EU if negotiations would not be speeded up in 2009- something which has gone down very badly in public opinion in western Europe). Such a row could be used as an excuse to stop the negotiations with Turkey about EU membership.
It is a big game in which Iceland is just a pawn.
Fishy,
From the comments you’ve expressed one is left with no doubt you’re a Euro-Sceptic who strives for an independent Iceland.
I think a lot of my fellow Americans would agree with you. But it seems to me no nation-state in this latest version of globalization is independent from the fate of others. Americans will soon learn this when China greatly reduces the amount of American treasury notes purchased from the Fed – in turn, China will see a painful decline in our consumption of China made products.
No doubt Fishy, you wish to have it both ways.
The outgoing George W. Bush and soon to be former central banker David Oddsson would no doubt agree with you but this simply does not work in the long run.
– Iceland will remain an independent nation-state with or without EU membership. Example the collapse of Iceland’s banking sector was an Icelandic homegrown event led by Icelanders who have looked to the American economic model – that made the nation dependent on Wall Street.
– I’ll have to do a bit of research about Icelandic laws and regulations being less than 10% from Brussels. That precentage looks far too low to me.
– The EU has often given concessions to new member states on a number of issues due to national interests. Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, United Kingdom, and others were offered concessions during EU membership level talks. Iceland will be no different.
@ Terry
Happy new year Terry!
I’ve been a little busy as recent,the fish business is in full steam at the moment as so much fish migrates to Iceland before the spawning.
By the way the cod quota was increased by 30000 ton.
Also before departing fisheries minister Einar left the government he issued quota on fin whales and minke whales for the next 5 years.
Although this decision is expected to be overturned by the new government.
But as i posted before when i took a beating from Julia Set
for saying Einar was a killer/pro hunter .
You can see at least i got him right!
Yes, a interesting article regarding the EU.
When they was suggesting many Icelanders are pro EU
this was based on gallop polls and I don’t believe the pro 60% figures were very accurate.
All I can say we will see in the coming months when the citizens here will vote on it.
There seems to be a very negative vibe on this forum as lately with posters only shouting opinions but no solutions.
Also all of this GUNG HO “hunt them all down and hang em high attitude.”
This is going to solve nothing
I wish that Bjarni was still posting here, as i think he posted good unbiased views based on facts rather than nonsense that some seem to lower theirselves to.
I feel that Fisy (we are not the same person as many believe)who posts here is raising very good points
despite what ” the idiot fraction of this forum may think”
He is right about the left green party(equivilant to U.k’s monster raving loony party)
I think a new party made up of remaining politicians plus new members would be a fresh idea and the way to go.
I just fear that the choice of the parties we have left would be worse than the recently dissolved government.
>And why has the support for joining the EU fallen so sharply in Iceland recently?
Because as people learn more, people come to see what it actually mean, and that it not good for them, or chilren or grandchilren.
>The reality is a large number of the laws and regulations that impact Icelanders daily have been coming from Brussels for over a decade.
Under 10% of EU regulations taken under EEA but clearly we had enough with just those as it is.
>Keeping the ISK seems highly suspect in the long run.
Depends on point of view but currency and EU memberstate seperate issues in many Icelandic minds which as it should be.
Only EU commission ones say dont want Iceland to adopt Euro with EU memberstate.
>As for fishing policy, Iceland could be the EU expert’s on sustainable economic development on such topics and expand the current quota system to a pan-european level.
This is vague eurospeak. No way EU will give concessions to any prospect memberstate it against policy of entry. If do shows how deperite are to get Iceland under control.
Guardian item pretty poor quality but clear intent of EU commission comes across in article still as say.
>Already Christian Democrats in the Netherlands, the party of the prime minister, are coupling their hostility with Turkey’s membership of the EU to criticism of Iceland’s ambitions. Such hostility might increase but senior figures in the European commission believe that Reykjavik brings more assets than liabilities to the EU.
Icelanders understand what their assets are, not just natural resource, and of course independence is big part.
But bear in mind this adding Iceland quickly also helps EU commission with problems with things they want to force in of Lisbon Treaty can do it when new memberstates added.
As to appointments great what we need now, economist who was politicans.
Gylfi Magnússon neutral to positive on him seems work away fairly hard on machinery of government and have some sense.
@Harald Bull-Hanssen
The below link may be of interest, and the end of the last paragraph will certainly interest FISHY – I think he could guess what the ‘assets’ may be.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/30/iceland-join-eu
Harald,
Your question regarding support for the EU in Iceland is of interest.
Given my relationship with the nation it has often appeared EU support within Icelandic soceity to be fickle at the best of times. After a surge of EU interest by the general public it is understandable for a peak in such interest as the public discourse unfolds.
The reality is a large number of the laws and regulations that impact Icelanders daily have been coming from Brussels for over a decade.
Keeping the ISK seems highly suspect in the long run. As for fishing policy, Iceland could be the EU expert’s on sustainable economic development on such topics and expand the current quota system to a pan-european level.
This of course will be negative for Icelandic fishing companies as they must compete in an open-market and finally pay for their quotas rather than behanded them free of charge.
I think the Left-Greens coming into government will be pragmatic about EU membership.
The new Icelandic cabinet seems to want to satisfy many interests simultaneously. But it still looks internally divided regarding becoming a member of the EU and consequently adopting the euro. Could this question make it difficult for the two parties to co-operate after the May elections? And why has the support for joining the EU fallen so sharply in Iceland recently?
A very positive development with Bryndis Hlodversdottir and Gylfi Magnusson as potential members of the forthcoming new government.