Freydís Anna Ástbjörnsdattir

*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* Freydís.

**Freydís Anna Ástbjörnsdattir** (born 12 February 1972) is a Velkanian politician who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the second Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet since 2018. She additionally served as Minister of Social Affairs and Welfare in the first Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet from 2014 until 2018, and has served in the Orthing since 2006. She is a member of the Liberal-Conservative Party.

Freydís was born in Varmahöður, and graduated from upper secondary school in 1992. After graduating, she moved to Narísandur and enrolled in the University of Narísandur, graduating with a degree in Eurean history in 1995. Afterwards, she enrolled in the University of Velkania, graduating with a degree in secondary education in 1997. Freydís subsequently received her teaching credentials and began working as a history lecturer in the lower secondary section of a primary school in Narísandur. In 2003, she left the position and became a history lecturer at Narísandur Academy, a prestigious upper secondary school. She left her teaching career in 2006, after she was elected to the Orthing in the 2006 election. Following the election of Sif María Vilhjálmardattir as party leader in 2013, Freydís was said to be her "right-hand woman" and "closest party confidante."

Following the 2014 election, the party won a plurality of seats in parliament and Sif became Prime Minister. In her first cabinet, Sif nominated Freydís to serve as Minister of Social Affairs and Welfare. In this position, Freydís oversaw the liberalization of social policy in the Velkanian Isles, legalizing same-sex adoption and loosening abortion restrictions, while she also limited the government's welfare policies. After the 2018 election, Sif nominated Freydís to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs in her second cabinet, commonly seen as the most senior ministerial post behind the Prime Minister.

Freydís has frequently been identified as a leading figure of the movement of young, female Liberal-Conservatives that were ushered in along with Sif's rise to power within the party and nationally. She has been cited as a likely future party leader and possible future Prime Minister, being identified as the most likely candidate to succeed Sif following her eventual retirement from office.

## Early life and education

Freydís was born on 12 February 1972 in Varmahöður to parents Ástbjörn Karl Kristgeirsson (born 1944) and Elín Jónbjörnsdattir (born 1946). Her father worked as an auto-mechanic, while her mother alternated between working various part-time jobs in industries such as retail, and being a homemaker. The family was rather working-class. Freydís is the second of four children; her siblings include Finngeir Björn, born  (1970-12-01) 1 December 1970 (age 53), Eðvar Þorlákur, born  (1974-05-29) 29 May 1974 (age 49), and María Ragnhildur, born  (1980-04-01) 1 April 1980 (age 43).

Freydís began her education in 1978, attending a local, public primary school in Varmahöður. While in primary school, Freydís wished to become a teacher. She graduated from primary school in 1988, and subsequently enrolled in Greniklaustur Junior College, commuting from Varmahöður to Narísandur. While there, she studied a history and literature program, and ultimately graduated in 1992. After graduating, she moved to Narísandur to enroll in the Faculty of Velkanian History, Languages, and Literature at the University of Narísandur, graduating with a degree in Velkanian history in 1995. She then enrolled in the Faculty of Education at the University of Velkania, receiving a master's degree in secondary education in 1997.

## Teaching career

After finishing her education, Freydís received her teaching certification in order to teach history at the secondary level. She began her teaching career in 1997, working as a lecturer of Velkanian history in the lower secondary section of a public primary school in Narísandur.

In 2003, she left the position and became a history lecturer at Narísandur Academy, a prestigious public upper secondary school. While a teacher there, she taught classes on Velkanian history and women's history. She left the position in 2006, in order to enter politics.

## Political career

### Early politics

Early in her adulthood, Freydís did not consider herself to be a political person. Raised in a family of Social Democrats, Freydís was an enrolled member of the party until 1999, when she became more politically conscious and switched her party enrollment to the Liberal-Conservative Party, which she believed better represented her newly formed political views.

Freydís began her political career after she was elected to the Orthing in the 2006 election. Upon her election, Freydís aligned herself with other Liberal-Conservatives like Sif María Vilhjálmardattir, holding more centrist and liberal political views and representing a younger, more diverse coalition of voters. After taking her seat in parliament, Freydís joined the centrist faction of Liberal-Conservatives led by party leader Heinrekur Jón Jónsson.

Following the April 2013 announcement that Heinrekur would be standing down as party leader and retiring from politics, Freydís was cited by the media as a potential candidate in the subsequent leadership election. However, the following month she endorsed Sif's candidacy, thus ending any speculation that she'd be running herself.

### Minister of Social Affairs and Welfare

Following the 2014 election, Freydís was nominated to serve as Minister of Social Affairs and Welfare in the first Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet. Following her appointment, the media noted that Freydís was one of Sif's "closest advisors" and a "close ally."

In her ministerial post, Freydís was responsible for initiating a number of socially liberal policies. Under her watch, the Velkanian Isles legalized same-sex adoption and additionally loosened abortion restrictions, resulting in legal on-request abortions for women up to the second trimester of pregnancy, and third trimester abortions available if certain medical conditions were met. She also weakened certain welfare policies, instead contracting private companies, which she was criticized for by some left-wing groups.

### Minister of Foreign Affairs

Following the 2018 election, Sif's first cabinet had dissolved due to the elimination of the Centrist Party from the Orthing. A new coalition deal was negotiated, and Freydís was nominated to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the second Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet, typically seen as the most senior ministerial post below the Prime Minister. This made Freydís the third consecutive woman to serve in the post.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Freydís is responsible for the foreign policy of the Velkanian Isles, and acts as one of the chief international representatives of the nation abroad. Since her appointment, Freydís has visited more than forty-six nations, attending conferences and visiting both heads of state and heads of government. In a 2019 poll, she was ranked as the second-most visible cabinet member, following only Sif herself, by the Velkanian public; more than 85% of the Velkanian voting-eligible population had an opinion on her. With her high degree of visibility, Freydís has commonly been cited by the Velkanian media as a potential successor to Sif as party leader and a possible future Prime Minister.

## Personal life

Freydís began a relationship with social sciences secondary school lecturer Guðmar Eyríkur Sveinbjartarson in 1997. They were coworkers and began dating shortly after she began working at the school. They became engaged only four months after beginning their relationship, and married in secret later that year.

Freydís and Guðmar have three sons together: Kristján Pál, born  (2000-05-12) 12 May 2000 (age 23), Eyríkur Jón, born  (2002-03-13) 13 March 2002 (age 21), and Ásþór Guðmar, born  (2004-11-22) 22 November 2004 (age 19). The family resides in the Garðareyri neighborhood of Narísandur.