Bjarni Benediktsson, Jr.

Bjarni Benediktsson ( born January 26, 1970 in Reykjavík ) is Icelandic politician and since 2009 chairman of the party of the Independence Party ( Sjálfstæðisflokkur ). He's since May 23, 2013, the Acting Finance and Economy Minister of Iceland.

Name

If sometimes referred to differentiate as Bjarni Benediktsson Jr, but this is not related to him by marriage with the former Prime Minister of Iceland Bjarni Benediktsson. The surname is patronymic in origin.

Career

Bjarni Benediktsson studied law at the University of Iceland and graduated there from 1995 to 1996 a study abroad in Germany and in 1997 a stay abroad in Miami in the United States. In Iceland, he worked after his studies as a lawyer.

Since 2003 he is member of the Icelandic parliament Althingi. On 29 March 2009 about a month before the 2009 parliamentary elections, he was elected with 58.1 % as the successor of Geir Hilmar Haarde as Chairman of the Independence Party. The above ruling party slipped to 9 seats from 16 seats and reached the second place.

End of April 2013 was Bjarni Benediktssons Independence Party with 26.7 percent of the vote emerged as the clear winner of the elections to the Icelandic Parliament. After this election result he intended with Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson of the liberal Progressive Party to form a bourgeois coalition government, which should replace the current center-left government of Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurdardottir. The bourgeois camp together reached about 51 percent of the vote.

On April 30, 2013, however, was announced by the President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grimsson, that he, the Progressive Party had 24.4 percent of the vote to become the second strongest party in Iceland in this election Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, the mandate will pass to the formation of the new government. So this comes to the task with other parties to explore and negotiate possible coalitions.

On May 18, 2013 reported Icelandic media that the coalition negotiations between the Progressive Party and the Independence Party had been successful and the first result was announced that Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson will be the next prime minister of Iceland, while Bjarni Benediktsson of the Independence Party Finance and the Ministry of Economy conduct will ..

On May 23, 2013, the new coalition government has begun its work. Bjarni Benediktsson carries in it the responsibility of the Finance and Economy Ministry.

Bjarni Benediktsson had expressed clear before the election against EU membership of his country and wants to put the talks with the EU temporarily shelved. He sees Islands future, especially in the development of fishing and tourism.

Bjarni Benediktsson is married and lives with his wife and four children in the village Gardabær south of Reykjavík.