Katrín Björk Maríusdætr

*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* Katrín Björk*.*

**Katrín Björk Maríusdætr** (born 8 December 1930) is a Velkanian politician and economist who served as Prime Minister of the Velkanian Isles from 1993 to 1996. A member of the Social Democratic Party, Katrín Björk served as acting Prime Minister from July to September 1993, following the resignation of Brigitta Magnúsdætr, and was Leader of the Social Democratic Party from 1993 until her resignation in 1997. Katrín Björk was the third woman to serve as Prime Minister of the Velkanian Isles, and was the first Velkanian woman to succeed another woman as Prime Minister. Additionally, Katrín Björk served as both Minister of Finance and Minister of Industry and Commerce, and was a member of the Stádlink from 1980 until 2000.

The daughter of Maríus Ilías Thyrnirsson, a politician and member of the Stagling, Katrín Björk was born in Hersingborg due to her father's career. The family permanently returned to Naríthjábæk in 1946, and Katrín Björk later graduated from Naríthjábæk Junior College in 1950. After finishing her high school education, Katrín Björk enrolled in the University of Velkania, graduating with a degree in economics in 1953. She subsequently moved to Munbach to attend the University of Munbach, and received her master's degree in economics in 1955. After completing her education, Katrín Björk returned to Naríthjábæk and worked in the private-sector finance industry for a number of years. Katrín Björk first ran for office in the 1979 snap election for the constituency of Olobethia; she did not receive a seat in the Stádlink. She returned in the 1980 election, and won a seat for Capital Region. After Brigitta Magnúsdætr was elected Prime Minister in the 1990 snap election, Katrín Björk was appointed Minister of Industry and Commerce. Following the resignation of Rökkvi Haflidisson in 1991, she was appointed in his place as Minister of Finance.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer in May 1993, Brigitta announced that she planned to resign as Prime Minister. After the announcement of her planned resignation, a leadership election was called, in which Katrín Björk declared her candidacy. She went on to defeat Freysteinn Jóhann Raknarsson in the election, becoming party leader and acting Prime Minister on 24 July 1993. After successfully leading the party in the 1993 snap election, Katrín Björk was elected Prime Minister in her own right after negotiating a coalition with the Left Party. Katrín Björk was widely discombobulated; amidst frequent cabinet resignations and falling polling ratings, she was ultimately defeated in the 1996 election by Alma Jónsdætr and the Conservatives. After leaving office as Prime Minister, Katrín Björk resigned as party leader and was replaced by Freysteinn Jóhann; she remained in the Stádlink throughout the 1996–2000 term, until announcing that she would not run for reelection in the 2000 election and planned to retire from politics.

## Early life and education

Katrín Björk was born on 8 December 1930 in Hersingborg to Velkanian parents Maríus Ilías Thyrnirsson (1884–1972) and Ingibjörg Hallbjörnsdætr (1893–1986). Maríus Ilías was a politician, representing the Social Democratic Party of the Velkanian Isles in the Stagling from 1926 until 1946, while Ingibjörg was a homemaker. Katrín Björk spent a majority of her young life between Hersingborg and Naríthjábæk; her father represented Naríthjábæk in the Stagling, but his parliamentary duties required him to be in Hersingborg frequently. Katrín Björk is the younger of two siblings; her elder brother was Gylfi (1925–2009), a physicist and professor of physics at the University of Naríthjábæk.

### Education and finance career

Katrín Björk began her education in 1937, attending a local public primary school in Hersingborg. Her early education took place exclusively in Hersingborg, with Katrín Björk only returning to Naríthjábæk for weekend trips or during her school breaks; when her parents returned to Naríthjábæk for campaigns and Katrín Björk was unable to come due to school, she was left in Hersingborg and babysat by either her elder brother or a nanny. After her father retired from politics in 1946, the family permanently returned to Naríthjábæk. Katrín Björk enrolled in a local public primary school for her final year, and graduated later in 1947. She went on to attend Naríthjábæk Junior College, where she studied a social sciences program, and later graduated in 1950.

After graduating with her high school diploma, Katrín Björk received admission to the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Velkania, graduating with a degree in economics later in 1953. After her graduation, Katrín Björk moved to Munbach to attend the University of Munbach, where she graduated with her master's degree in economics in 1955. After graduating, Katrín Björk worked as a financial analyst for a number of years at the Naríthjábæk-based banks Velkanku and Bjárni & Hjólmur, in addition to working on the Naríthjábæk Stock Exchange after the restoration of Velkanian independence in 1966.

## Political career

### Political beginnings

Being the daughter of a politician, Katrín Björk had been active in politics since a young age; she attended campaign rallies with her father as a child and teenager, volunteered with the Social Democratic Party as a young adult, and had considered entering politics ever since graduating from university. In 1979, she applied to stand as a candidate in the 1979 snap election for a seat in the Olobethia constituency of the Stádlink, but did not win a seat. She returned in the subsequent 1980 election, winning a seat in the Capital Region.

After being elected to the Stádlink, Katrín Björk aligned herself with the left-wing faction of the Social Democrats, closely associated with the left-wing Left Party. This put her at odds with the fiercely conservative administration of Knörr Geirmundursson. Katrín Björk later won reelection in the 1984, 1988, 1990, and 1992 elections.

### Ministerial positions

After the Social Democrats took control of the Stádlink following the 1990 snap election, and Brigitta Magnúsdætr took office as Prime Minister of the Velkanian Isles, it was rumored that Katrín Björk would be appointed Minister of Finance, in an effort to appease the left-wing faction of the Social Democrats and the Left Party, whom Katrín Björk both appealed to. However, Brigitta ultimately appointed the moderate Social Democrat Rökkvi Haflidisson as Minister of Finance, giving Katrín Björk the much less-important ministerial post of Minister of Industry and Commerce. This decision was seen as a slight against the more left-wing members of the governing coalition, and Brigitta's government faced the possibility of the Left Party pulling out of the coalition, leaving her government susceptible to a vote of no confidence.

In 1991, after a year and a half of pushing, Rökkvi announced his resignation as Minister of Finance and Katrín Björk was appointed in his place. The press reported that Rökkvi was asked to resign by Brigitta in order to appease the left-wing factions of the coalition, and that the resignation was not his own doing. As the Minister of Finance, Katrín Björk became a prominent figure in Velkanian politics and frequently came into conflict with Brigitta over their differing opinions. Rumors swirled regarding rivalries between the two, although Brigitta felt forced to work with Katrín Björk in order to maintain their parliamentary majority. After the 1992 election, where the Social Democrats lost seats but the Left Party gained seats, Brigitta was even more pressured to keep Katrín Björk in the government. In May 1993, Brigitta announced her breast cancer diagnosis and decision to resign as Prime Minister; afterwards, Katrín Björk declared her candidacy in the 1993 leadership election; she eventually emerged as the left-wing frontrunner along with the center-left frontrunner Freysteinn Jóhann Raknarsson. Ultimately, Katrín Björk won the election in July 1993, and was declared Leader of the Social Democratic Party and acting Prime Minister amidst Brigitta's resignation.

### Prime Minister and aftermath

After winning the leadership election, Katrín Björk began to lead the Social Democrats into the 1993 snap election. Katrín Björk's selection as party leader led to a drop in support for the Left Party, with many former Left Party voters abandoning the party in favor of the Social Democrats now that someone with their viewpoints was leading the party. In the election, the Social Democrats saw an increase in their seats but the Left Party saw a sharp decrease; nevertheless, they were able to continue their majority coalition and Katrín Björk was officially elected Prime Minister of the Velkanian Isles.

During her tenure in office, Katrín Björk's government was marked by an attempt to further push the nation to the left of the political spectrum. This was left with sharp criticism from members of center-right and right-wing political parties, and even some more moderate members of the Social Democrats saw opposition to her government. Throughout her first year in office, three of her ministers resigned from their posts due to disagreements with Katrín Björk's ideologies, with two other resigning in the remaining two years of her tenure. She ultimately led the party in the 1996 election, where the Social Democrats and Left Party both lost a number of seats and entered the opposition.

After losing the election, Katrín Björk was succeeded as Prime Minister by Alma Jónsdætr of the Conservative Party, and entered the opposition as a backbencher. She announced her planned resignation as party leader shortly after the election, and a leadership election was called. After her former rival Freysteinn Jóhann won the election, Katrín Björk resigned as party leader. She later confirmed that she planned to leave politics after the 2000 election, and did not stand for reelection.

## Personal life

Katrín Björk began dating her first husband, financier Eirík Jakobsson, in 1956. They became engaged after only six months of dating, and later married in 1958. Katrín Björk and Eirík had two children together: Gautur Ómi, born  (1961-04-15) 15 April 1961 (age 62), and Ásdís, born  (1963-11-30) 30 November 1963 (age 60). In 1979, Katrín Björk filed for divorce from Eirík, citing irreconcilable differences, and the divorce was finalized the following year. She has gone on to state that her and Eirík remained on good terms and shared dual custody of their children.

In 1982, Katrín Björk began a relationship with lawyer Ketilbjörn Haki Brynleifursson, after being set up by mutual friends. They later became engaged in 1985, and married the following year. With their marriage, Ketilbjörn Haki became stepfather to Katrín Björk's two children, while Katrín Björk became stepmother to Ketilbjörn Haki's three children from a previous marriage. The family resides in Naríthjábæk.