Steingrímur J. Sigfússon

Steingrímur Jóhann Sigfússon (born 4 August 1955) is an Icelandic politician. He has been a member of the Althing (Icelandic parliament) since 1983 and was the founding chairman of the Left-Green Movement (Vinstri hreyfingin – grænt framboð) from 1999 until 2013. He was the Minister for Agriculture and Communications from 1988–1991.[1] He became Minister of Finance in 2009. In 2011 he took on the roles of Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture and Minister of Economic Affairs.

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Steingrímur.
Steingrímur J. Sigfússon
Speaker of the Althing
Assumed office
29 October 2017
PresidentGuðni Th. Jóhannesson
Prime MinisterBjarni Benediktsson
Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Preceded byUnnur Brá Konráðsdóttir
In office
29 October 2016 – 24 January 2017
PresidentGuðni Th. Jóhannesson
Prime MinisterSigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
Bjarni Benediktsson
Preceded byEinar Kristinn Guðfinnsson
Succeeded byUnnur Brá Konráðsdóttir
Minister of Finance
In office
1 February 2009 – 23 May 2013
Prime MinisterJóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Preceded byÁrni Mathiesen
Succeeded byBjarni Benediktsson
Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture
In office
1 February 2009 – 10 May 2009
Prime MinisterJóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Preceded byEinar Kristinn Guðfinnsson
Succeeded byJón Bjarnason
In office
1 January 2012 – 23 May 2013
Prime MinisterJóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Preceded byJón Bjarnason
Succeeded bySigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
Minister of Agriculture and Communications
In office
28 September 1988 – 30 April 1991
Prime MinisterSteingrímur Hermannsson
Preceded byJón Helgason (as Minister of Agriculture)
Mattías Á. Mathiesen (as Minister of Communications)
Succeeded byHalldór Blöndal
Personal details
Born (1955-08-04) 4 August 1955
Gunnarsstaðir, Þistilfjörður
Political partyLeft-Green Movement
Spouse(s)Bergný Marvinsdóttir
Children4
Alma materUniversity of Iceland
ProfessionGeologist

Steingrímur was born in Gunnarsstaðir, a large sheep farm between Garður and Þórshöfn in the Þistilfjörður region of northeast Iceland (Svalbarðshreppur municipality). In his younger days he was an avid sportsman, both track and field and also a volleyball player. On 16 January 2006, Steingrímur was injured in a car accident not far from Blönduós, Iceland but he later recovered.

He supported the end of the US military presence in Iceland, but believed Iceland itself should have taken the initiative in ending this presence. Since September 2006, when US forces left Naval Air Station Keflavik, he has strongly opposed any possible development of an Icelandic army seeing the country's need for armed forces as practically non-existent. He believes that civilian institutions such as the police and the coast guard should be organized in order to provide the needed protection in the unlikely event of a major disturbance.[2]

In November 2006, he published the book Við öll – Íslenskt velferðarsamfélag á tímamótum ("All of Us – Icelandic Welfare Society at Crossroads"), laying out his political ideology.[3][4]

References
  1. Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, Secretariat of Althingi, retrieved 29 January 2009
  2. Sveinn Birkir Björnsson, "The Stories That Shaped the Year", Reykjavik Grapevine, retrieved 29 January 2009
  3. Við öll – íslenskt velferðarsamfélag á tímamótum (2006) (in Icelandic), retrieved 29 January 2009
  4. Steinunn Jakobsdóttir, "Defending the Welfare System", Reykjavik Grapevine, retrieved 29 January 2009
Political offices
Preceded by
Árni Mathiesen		 Minister of Finance
2009 – 2013		 Succeeded by
Bjarni Benediktsson
Preceded by
Einar Kristinn Guðfinnsson		 Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture
2009 – 2013		 Succeeded by
Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
Preceded by
Jón Helgason		 Minister of Agriculture
1988 – 1991		 Succeeded by
Halldór Blöndal
Preceded by
Matthías Árni Mathiesen		 Minister of Communications
1988 – 1991
Preceded by
Einar Kristinn Guðfinnsson		 Speaker of the Althing
2016 – 2017		 Succeeded by
Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir
Preceded by
None		 Chairman of the Left-Green Movement
1999 – 2013		 Succeeded by
Katrín Jakobsdóttir


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