Auðdís Heiða Guðleikardattir

*This name uses Velkanian naming customs; the last name is a patronymic, not a family name. This person should be properly referred to by the given name* Auðdís.

**Auðdís Heiða Guðleikardattir** (born 24 October 1982) is a Velkanian politician and journalist who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the first Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet from 2014 until 2018. She additionally served as leader of the Centrist Party from 2006 until 2018, becoming the youngest person to lead a parliamentary party in Velkanian history, and served in the Orthing from 2006 until 2018.

Auðdís was born in Reyklíð, and graduated from upper secondary school in 2002. After graduating, she moved to Narísandur to enroll in the University of Velkania, graduating with a degree in political science in 2005. In 2001, Auðdís was elected president of the youth wing of the Centrist Party, later being elected as the party's treasurer in 2004. In 2006, she was elected to the Orthing for the Centrist Party at only 23 years old, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to parliament in Velkanian history. Shortly after the election, party leader Úlrik Jóhann Ingiþórsson tendered his resignation due to the party's disappointing result, and Auðdís was elected as leader after standing unopposed. At 23 years old, this made Auðdís the youngest person in Velkanian history to lead a party in parliament. She led the party to an increase in seats in the 2010 election, and later was included in a government coalition along with Sif María Vilhjálmardattir and the Liberal-Conservatives after their success in the 2014 election. Auðdís was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the first Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet, and served until 2018. Following the 2018 election, the party lost all their seats in parliament and Auðdís tendered her resignation as party leader shortly afterwards.

After leaving parliament, Auðdís has worked as a freelance political journalist for various Velkanian news outlets, and has also appeared as a political analyst for a number of news broadcast programs.

## Early life and education

Auðdís was born on 24 October 1982 in Reyklíð to parents Guðleikur Björn Friðbjörnsson (born 1952) and Hildur Björk Kusadattir (born 1953). Her parents owned a bakery, where her father was the chief baker and her mother handled finances and management. She has cited her mother's role as financial manager of the family and their business as her inspiration to pursuing the career path she did as early as she did. Auðdís was raised as an only child, and frequently worked as a cashier at her family's bakery growing up.

Auðdís began her education in 1988, attending a local, public primary school in Reyklíð. While in school, Auðdís excelled in history and mathematics, at one point considering becoming a mathematics teacher. She graduated from primary school in 1998, subsequently enrolling in Reyklíð Junior College, where she studied a business and law program, graduating in 2002. After graduating, Auðdís moved to Narísandur to enroll in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Velkania, graduating with a degree in political science in 2005. While a student, Auðdís was elected president of the Faculty of Social Sciences for her second year in 2003, later being elected student body president in her final year in 2004.

## Political career

### Early politics

Auðdís began her first foray into national politics as a student, being elected president of the youth wing of the Centrist Party in 2001, when she was 19 years old. She had previously been an enrolled member of the party since first turning 17; both of her parents were enrolled members as well.

In 2004, Auðdís ran to be treasurer of the party, and was elected in a close race. Her two competitors were both men in their 50s, with her victory as a 21-year-old woman receiving widespread media attention. As party treasurer, Auðdís was one of the top four highest-ranking members of the party nationally, and handled the party's finances and spending. In the 2006 election, Auðdís was included as number-two on the Centrist Party list, and ultimately won a seat in the Orthing, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to parliament in Velkanian history.

### Party leader

Following the party's disappointing result in the election, party leader Úlrik Jóhann Ingiþórsson tendered his resignation, triggering a leadership election. Auðdís was cited by the media as his most likely successor, and soon declared her candidacy. She ultimately received the endorsement of every member of parliament for the party, and was elected party leader unopposed. At only 23 years old, Auðdís became the youngest person to ever lead a party represented in parliament in Velkanian history.

After being elected party leader, Auðdís was labelled by the Velkanian media as a "wunderkind" for leading a political party at such a young age. She additionally was featured in profiles by international news outlets, further increasing her visibility and popularity in the Velkanian Isles. As party leader, Auðdís pledged to further diversify her party, hoping to bring in a number of members of parliament who were women, younger, and descended from immigrants to the Velkanian Isles. She then led the party to a moderate success in the 2010 election. Initially, Davíð Brynnsteinsson and the Social Democrats opened coalition talks with Auðdís and the Centrists, but talks fell through when they could not reach an agreement on tax codes.

In the run-up to the 2014 election, Auðdís was identified by the media as attempting to line-up the party with Sif María Vilhjálmardattir and the Liberal-Conservatives, in the hope of forming a coalition together. The plan succeeded, when Sif opened up coalition talks with Auðdís and the Centrists, with talks later finalizing on 20 March 2014.

### Minister of Foreign Affairs

Following the 2014 election, Auðdís was nominated to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the first Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet, typically seen as the most senior ministerial post below the Prime Minister. This made Auðdís the second consecutive woman to serve in the post. Following her appointment, the media noted that Auðdís was one of the "second-in-command" in the administration, and a "trusted advisor" to Sif.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Auðdís was responsible for the foreign policy of the Velkanian Isles, and acted as one of the chief international representatives of the nation abroad. During her tenure, Auðdís visited sixty-one nations, attending conferences and visiting both heads of state and heads of government.

In the lead-up to the 2018 election, Auðdís struggled with distinguishing her party from the Liberal-Conservatives, and was often blamed for criticisms of the administration as a whole rather than just her party's part in it. Partially due to her inability to differentiate her party, the party suffered a devastating blow in the election, losing all of their parliamentary representation. Following the failure, Auðdís tendered her resignation as party leader and announced that she would serve in an acting capacity until a new leader could be elected. She officially resigned on 28 May 2018, and was succeeded by Ólafur Hreimur Jónsson.

### Post-parliamentary career

After leaving parliament following the 2018 election, Auðdís took a brief hiatus from politics and the public eye in order to prioritize family life and motherhood. During her break from the public eye, Auðdís adopted a third child from Esman, which briefly brought back some media attention.

In 2019, Auðdís began working as a freelance political journalist, writing various political opinion pieces for a number of Velkanian news outlets. Later that year, she began appearing in broadcast television as an on-air political commentator, analyzing elections, campaigns, and government policy. Her experience as a cabinet minister has led to her being labeled an "expert" on the workings of a Sif María Vilhjálmardattir government.

## Personal life

Auðdís began a relationship with Velkanian advertising executive Áki Pétarson in 2009, after meeting at a bar and lounge. They became engaged in 2011, and later married the following year. They have five children together, two biological and three adopted. Their biological children include Ívar Ólaf, born  (2014-03-03) 3 March 2014 (age 9), and Magnús Róbert, born  (2015-12-17) 17 December 2015 (age 8).

In 2017, they adopted fraternal twin girls from Esman, born  (2017-01-04) 4 January 2017 (age 7); they named the girls Dagbjörg Helga and Jófríður Jóhanna; Dagbjörg is physically disabled as she was born with only one arm. In 2019, Auðdís and Áki adopted Dagbjörg and Jófríður's elder biological sister, whom they named Pétrún Ólafína, born  (2015-09-23) 23 September 2015 (age 8).

The family resides in Húsavík, where they own a large, six-bedroom home. Auðdís is fluent in Velkanian, Framish, and Ditrovian, and has studied Esmanese in the hope of becoming fluent. While she has described herself as "irreligious," Auðdís has studied Kavordian Dravadinism since adopting children from Esman, and has referred to its teachings as "quite fascinating."