Businesswoman Halla Tomasdottir elected as Iceland's next president

June 02, 2024 19:37

Halla Tomasdottir/ANI Photo/X/@thebteamhq

Businesswoman and B Team CEO Halla Tomasdottir has been elected the seventh President of Iceland and will take over from Guana Johannesson on August 1, RUV reported.

Tomasdottir will be the second woman to hold the office after Vigdis Finnbogadottir, who was the first woman in the world to be democratically elected as president in 1980.

Halla Tomasdottir received 34.3 percent of the vote while Iceland's former Prime Minister Katrina Jakobsdottir won 25.2 percent, RUV reported.

Director general Halla Hrund Logadottir followed with 15.1 percent while comedian Jon Gnarr fifth and Professor Baldur Thorhallsson stood at fourth and fifth place respectively, according to Iceland Review report.

"I want to congratulate her and I know she'll be a good president," Katrin Jakobsdottir said when Halla Tomasdottir's victory was becoming clear.

At her campaign celebration in the morning, Tomasdottir said, "I think people want to discuss our society and take part in it," Iceland Review reported.

She said, "I feel the energy of the people who have joined me on this journey."

Voter turnout in this election was 78.83 per cent and has not been higher in a presidential election since 1996, RUV reported.

During her campaign, Tomasdottir had said, "I only see one team in Iceland and that's Icelanders."

Speaking to Iceland Review, She said, "[We] can make Bessastadir the home for our national compass." -- ANI

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