President of Iceland

The President of Iceland () is the head of state of Iceland. The incumbent is Halla Tómasdóttir, who became president in 2024.

The president is elected to a four-year term by popular vote, is not term-limited, and has limited powers. The presidential residence is in Bessastaðir in Garðabær, near the capital city Reykjavík.

List
There have been seven presidents since the creation of the republic.

Term: 1 appointed · 2 died in office · 3 uncontested

NºPresidentTook officeLeft officeDurationTermPrime ministers1100pxSveinn Björnsson(1881–1952)17 June 194425 January 195227 years, 7 months, 8 days(2,778 days)1 (1944)1Björn ÞórðarsonÓlafur ThorsStefán Jóhann StefánssonÓlafur ThorsSteingrímur Steinþórsson2 (1945)33 (1949)3Regent of Iceland 1941–1944, later became the first president of Iceland. In 1950 considered forming a government that did not rely on parliamentary support after leaders of the parliamentary parties had reached an impasse. The only president to die in office; this led to a vacancy, the powers of the office being constitutionally vested jointly in the prime minister (Steingrímur Steinþórsson), the president of the Parliament (Jón Pálmason) and the president of the Supreme Court (Jón Ásbjörnsson).2100pxÁsgeir Ásgeirsson(1894–1972)1 August 195231 July 196816 years(5,844 days)4 (1952)Steingrímur SteinþórssonÓlafur ThorsHermann JónassonEmil JónssonÓlafur ThorsBjarni BenediktssonÓlafur ThorsBjarni Benediktsson5 (1956)36 (1960)37 (1964)3First president elected by popular vote.3100pxKristján Eldjárn(1916–1982)1 August 196831 July 198012 years(4,383 days)8 (1968)Bjarni BenediktssonJóhann HafsteinÓlafur JóhannessonGeir HallgrímssonÓlafur JóhannessonBenedikt Sigurðsson GröndalGunnar Thoroddsen9 (1972)310 (1976)3At one point considered forming a government that did not rely on parliamentary support after leaders of the parliamentary parties had reached an impasse.4100pxVigdís Finnbogadóttir(born 1930)1 August 198031 July 199616 years(5,844 days)11 (1980)Gunnar ThoroddsenSteingrímur HermannssonÞorsteinn PálssonSteingrímur HermannssonDavíð Oddsson12 (1984)313 (1988)14 (1992)3Was the world's first elected female president. Won first term in office with the lowest historical share of the votes for a first-term election (33.79%) but overwhelmingly won her third-term election in 1988.5100pxÓlafur Ragnar Grímsson(born 1943)1 August 199631 July 201620 years(7,305 days)15 (1996)Davíð OddssonHalldór ÁsgrímssonGeir HaardeJóhanna SigurðardóttirSigmundur Davíð GunnlaugssonSigurður Ingi Jóhannsson16 (2000)317 (2004)18 (2008)319 (2012)First to use the constitutional veto power under Article 26 to deny signing a law from the Parliament. Used it again on two occasions.6100pxGuðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson(born 1968)1 August 201631 July 2024( days)20 (2016)Sigurður Ingi JóhannssonBjarni BenediktssonKatrín JakobsdóttirBjarni Benediktsson21 (2020)Overwhelmingly won his second-term election in 2020.7100pxHalla Tómasdóttir(born 1968)1 August 2024( days)22 (2024)Bjarni BenediktssonWon with the second lowest historical share of the votes for a first-term election (34.15%). This was her second attempt at a presidential run, the first one having been in 2016 where she came in second.

References