Guðni Th. Jóhannesson

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This is an Icelandic name. The last name is a patronymic, not a family name; this person is properly referred to by the given name Guðni.
Guðni Th. Jóhannesson
President of Iceland
Elect
Taking office
1 August 2016
Prime Minister Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
Succeeding Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
Personal details
Born Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson
(1968-06-26) 26 June 1968 (age 48)
Reykjavík, Iceland
Political party Independent
Spouse(s) Elín Haraldsdóttir
Eliza Reid (m. 2004–Present)
Children 5
Alma mater University of Warwick
University of Iceland
University of Bonn
St Antony's College, Oxford
University of London
Profession Historian

Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson (born 26 June 1968[1]) is the president-elect of Iceland, an Icelandic historian and lecturer at the University of Iceland.

Early life and education[edit]

Guðni is the son of teacher and journalist Margrét Thorlacius and sports instructor Jóhannes Sæmundsson.[2] His brother Patrekur Jóhannesson is a former Icelandic handball national team player.[2] Guðni played handball during his youth (both in Iceland and the UK).[2][3]

Guðni graduated from Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík in 1987 and earned a bachelor's degree in history and political science from Warwick University in England in 1991 and a Master of Arts in history from the University of Iceland in 1997. He has also studied German and Russian at a university level.[2] In 1999, he completed an MSt degree in history from the University of Oxford.[1] In 2003 he received a PhD in history from Queen Mary, University of London.[4]

Career[edit]

Guðni has worked as a lecturer at the University of Iceland, Bifröst University and University of London.[1] Today he works as a senior lecturer in history at the University of Iceland. His field of research is modern Icelandic history in which he has published a number of works, including on the Cod Wars, 2008–11 Icelandic financial crisis and the Icelandic presidency. He has written a biography of Gunnar Thoroddsen and a book about the presidency of Kristján Eldjárn.[1]

Presidential candidacy[edit]

Guðni decided to stand for president on 5 May 2016. His platform includes support for a citizen initiative referendum provision in the Constitution.[5] Early polls showed significant support,[6] and following incumbent president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson's decision to drop out of the race Guðni saw an increase in popularity reflected in various polls, which ranked him first with 67% to 69%, far ahead of other contenders.[7] Guðni was elected on 25 June after receiving a plurality with 39,1% of the vote.[8] He will take office on 1 August.[9] At 48, Guðni became Iceland's youngest president-elect.[10]

Guðni was unaffiliated with any of Iceland’s political parties.[10] Describing himself, Guðni stated that he would be a "less political president" than his predecessor Olafur Ragnar Grimsson due to a lack of political partisanship.[10] Guðni has emphasized the importance of unity for the small Nordic nation.[10]

Personal life[edit]

Religious beliefs[edit]

Guðni stands outside organized religion, but was raised in the Catholic faith. He left the Catholic Church following reports of sexual abuse from various Catholic priests. He today says his credo is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "human beings are born free, equal in dignity and rights. Humans are endowed with reason and conscience and should act in the spirit of brotherhood towards each other."[1]

Family[edit]

Guðni is the son of the teacher and journalist Margrét Thorlacius and the PE teacher and coach Jóhannes Sæmundsson. His father died of cancer at the age of 42. He has two brothers, Patrekur, a former Icelandic national handball team player, who is coach of the Austria national handball team, and Jóhannes, who is a system analyst.[1]

Jóhannesson married Canadian Eliza Reid in 2004 and they have four children together.[11] The couple, who met while both were studying in the United Kingdom, moved to Iceland in 2003.[11] Reid will become First Lady of Iceland once he is sworn into office.[11] Jóhannesson also has a daughter from a previous marriage.

Ancestry[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

  • Kári í jötunmóð. Saga Íslenskrar erfðagreiningar og Kára Stefánssonar (Reykjavík: Nýja bókafélagið, 1999).
  • Völundarhús valdsins. Stjórnarmyndanir, stjórnarslit og staða forseta Íslands í embættistíð Kristjáns Eldjárns, 1968-1980 (Reykjavík: Mál og menning, 2005).
  • Óvinir ríkisins. Ógnir og innra öryggi í kalda stríðinu á Íslandi (Reykjavík: Mál og menning, 2006).
  • Þorskastríðin þrjú. Saga landhelgismálsins 1948-1976 (Reykjavík: Hafréttarstofnun Íslands, 2006).
  • Hrunið. Ísland á barmi gjaldþrots og upplausnar (Reykjavík: JPV, 2009)
  • Gunnar Thoroddsen. Ævisaga. (Reykjavík: JPV, 2010)

Guðni has translated four Stephen King books into Icelandic.[13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Guðmundsson, Hjörtur J. (3 May 2016). "Hver er þessi Guðni Th.?". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 15 May 2016. 
  2. ^ a b c d "Breaking: Iceland elects new President". Retrieved 2016-06-28. 
  3. ^ "Lamdi bróður sinn og nennir ekki að djamma: Öll litlu atriðin sem þú þarft að vita um Guðna en skipta kannski mestu máli - DV" (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2016-06-28. 
  4. ^ "Guðni Th. Jóhannesson Ferilskrá" (PDF). Ugla (University of Iceland) (in Icelandic). Retrieved 15 May 2016. 
  5. ^ "Guðni lýsir yfir framboði". RÚV (in Icelandic). 5 May 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016. 
  6. ^ "Ólafur með 45% en Guðni 38%". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 5 May 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016. 
  7. ^ Fontaine, Paul (11 May 2016). "Guðni Surges Ahead In New Presidential Election Poll". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Retrieved 15 May 2016. 
  8. ^ "Lokatölur komnar úr öllum kjördæmum". 2016-06-26. Retrieved 2016-06-26. 
  9. ^ "Political Novice Elected Iceland President Amid Football Fever". NDTV.com. Agence France-Presse. 26 June 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016. 
  10. ^ a b c d Milne, Richard; Correspondent, Nordic (2016-06-26). "Iceland elects university historian as president". Financial Times. ISSN 0307-1766. Retrieved 2016-06-26. 
  11. ^ a b c "Meet Iceland’s new first lady: Canadian Eliza Reid". Maclean's (The Canadian Press). 2016-06-26. 
  12. ^ Manila (26 June 2016). "Guðni Th. Jóhannesson". Ethnicelebs. Retrieved 27 June 2016. 
  13. ^ "Iceland historian Johannesson tipped to be voted president". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-06-25. 

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