With the elections long over and two weeks of wrangling behind them, the conservative end of Iceland’s politics is back in government.
The progressive and independence parties have finally announced their running order of ministers, with the Progressive Party’s Sigmundur David Gunlaugsson as prime minister and Independence Party leader Bjarni Benediktsson as minister of finance.
Sigurdur Ingi Jónsson has been named minister for fisheries, agriculture, environment and natural resources.
The amalgamation of these portfolios into a single ministry is a departure from the previous government as Iceland no longer has a ministry of environmental affairs.
Announcements have yet to be made, but indications are although there is a sizeable lobby in favor of completing accession negotiations with the European Union, these could be cut short.
Even under the previous government that included the strongly pro-EU Social Democrat party, membership was never a foregone conclusion.
