REYKJAVIK (AFP) -
Iceland is ending an eventful year in a political quagmire, left without a government for two months after the Panama Papers scandal and a snap election reflecting deep divisions in the island nation.
"In recent years we thought we were seeing the craziest, but we were proven wrong every time -- Iceland found ways to be even crazier," a parliamentary assistant from the Icelandic opposition said on April 6, seeing a government in tatters hesitate on its next move.
Iceland, getting even crazier. Finland has some work to do.
Apparently, the Pirate Party made a run at it, but ultimately failed to take the ship of state.
Update: The AFP article doesn't tell us this, but according to the Wikipedia article linked above, the Pirates actually won 23.9% of the vote and are the largest party in Iceland right now.
But it's not all bad:
Its economy is flourishing with growth expected to reach five percent, after 4.2 percent in 2015. Unemployment has virtually disappeared. Incomes are rising fast. Construction is booming.
Iceland has become a hot spot for tourists from Britain, the US, Asia or Germany, at almost any time of the year, fuelling the creation of thousands of jobs and generous spending.
Cause? Effect?
A year with no government, huh? I guess 2016 wasn't rotten for everyone.
ReplyDeleteIcelandic air is the way to go to Europe from the west coast usa- a nice break halfway, good aircraft, and they actively encourage people to interrupt the travel and spend some time there,
ReplyDeleteI don't know full details, but Iceland was the only country to tell the EU banks to stuff the debt incurred in the 2008 financial crisis.
Hot tip- if you go in the summer, get a room off the main drag or at least on the side away from the street- like Alaskans, there is a certain frenetic 24/7 party atmosphere in the summer months.