Social Democrats win Iceland’s parliamentary elections

By Behlul Cetinkaya

LONDON (AA) - The center-left Social Democratic Alliance emerged as the largest party in Iceland's Nov. 30 snap parliamentary elections, securing 15 seats in the 63-seat parliament, state broadcaster RUV reported Sunday.

Following the elections, the Social Democratic Alliance significantly increased its share of the vote, rising from 9% in the 2021 elections to over 21%, allowing the party to nearly triple its number of seats from 6 to 15.

The ruling Independence Party, which has won the last four elections, received 19% of the vote but saw its seat count decrease from 16 to 14.

The Progressive Party, a coalition partner, garnered 7.8% of the vote, with its seats dropping from 13 to just 5. The other coalition member, the Green Left Party, failed to secure any seats in parliament.

Meanwhile, the Reform Party, which placed seventh in the 2021 elections, gained 11 seats in the Nov. 30 vote, making it the third-largest group in parliament.

With these results, 36-year-old Kristrún Mjöll Frostadóttir, the leader of the Social Democratic Alliance, is expected to begin coalition negotiations to secure a parliamentary majority.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul