Vagn Orri Haukvaldursson

*This is a Velkanian name. The last name is a patronymic, not a family name. The subject should be referred to by the given name* Vagn Orri*.*

**Vagn Orri Haukvaldursson** (born 18 July 1955) is a Velkanian politician and fisherman who has served as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries since 2012. A Liberal-Democrat, Vagn Orri has additionally served as a member of the Stádlink since 2000.

Born to a family of fishermen in Hrafnaeyjar, South Riksania, Vagn Orri was raised working-class and prioritized work over education. After finishing primary school in 1971, he opted not to attend high school and began woking as a fisherman along with his father. After the death of his father in 1978, Vagn Orri began managing the family's local fishery. This newfound leadership position led him to become more interested in the politics behind agriculture and fisheries in the Velkanian Isles. Vagn Orri was elected to the Stádlink for the Liberal-Democrats in the 2000 election, representing the South Riksania constituency. Björnólfur was later appointed Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries by Síf María Vílhelmsdætr for her first cabinet in 2012, remaining in this capacity in her second cabinet as well in 2016.

## Early life and career

Vagn Orri was born on 18 July 1955 in Hrafnaeyjar, a small village in South Riksania, to parents Haukvaldur Flókisson (1930–1978) and Katrín Kristbergsdætr (1933–2007). His father owned and operated a family-run fishery in Hrafnaeyjar, while his mother worked as the fishery's secretary. Vagn Orri is the eldest of three children and only son; his younger sisters include Anastasía María, born  (1957-12-12) 12 December 1957 (age 66), and Gunnbjörg Anna, born  (1960-02-19) 19 February 1960 (age 63). Both of his sisters have since relocated to Naríthjábæk, and are not involved in the fishing industry.

Vagn Orri began his education in 1961, attending a small local public primary school, where he was a high academic achiever but felt little motivation. He graduated from primary school in 1971, and opted not to attend a high school. Instead of continuing his education, Vagn Orri began working with his father as a fisherman. In 1978, Haukvaldur died after suffering a heart attack, and Vagn Orri subsequently took over the family fishery as its manager and chief.

## Political career

### Political beginnings

Early in his life, Vagn Orri felt no connection to politics, and often did not vote despite being told to support Conservative politicians by his friends. After taking over his family business in 1978, he first began to pay attention to politics due to the red tape, rules, and restrictions regarding running a business. He subsequently registered with the Liberal-Democratic Party and began voting in elections.

In 2000, Vagn Orri applied to stand as a candidate in the 2000 election in the South Riksania constituency of the Stádlink. He went on to be elected, and has been reelected in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016.

### Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries

After the Liberal-Democrats won the 2012 election and Síf María Vílhelmsdætr secured a coalition agreement with the Green-Agrarian Party, it was announced by Síf María that she would be nominating Vagn Orri for the position of Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in her first cabinet. Ragnhildur IV formally appointed Vagn Orri as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries on 1 December 2012. The party won a majority of seats in the 2016 election, leading to the dissolution of the coalition government in favor of a single-party government of the Liberal-Democrats. Síf María chose Vagn Orri to remain in his capacity as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in her second cabinet.

## Personal life

Vagn Orri began a relationship with Hrönn Kristjánsdætr in 1968, when he was 13 and she was 12. They became engaged in 1971, when Vagn Orri was 16, and later married after Hrönn's high school graduation in 1974. Hrönn later succeeded Vagn Orri's mother as secretary of the family fishery. In 2005, Hrönn was killed following an automobile accident that both she and their youngest daughter were involved in; their daughter suffered only minor injuries.

Vagn Orri and Hrönn had five children together: Gréta, born  (1976-08-22) 22 August 1976 (age 47), Jeremías, born  (1978-11-16) 16 November 1978 (age 45), Róbert Haukvaldur, born  (1979-11-28) 28 November 1979 (age 44), Elína, born  (1983-07-12) 12 July 1983 (age 40), and Salóme, born  (1986-02-05) 5 February 1986 (age 37). The family continues to reside in Hrafnaeyjar, and Vagn Orri rents a small apartment in Naríthjábæk for his parliamentary duties. He is a Northern Eurean Christian, along with the rest of his family.