Eybjört María Hólmsteinnsdattir

*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* Eybjört.

**Eybjört María Hólmsteinnsdattir** (born 2 November 1940) is a Velkanian politician and diplomat who served as the 9th prime minister of the Velkanian Isles from 1993 until 2002, and the leader of the Independence Party from 1993 until 2010. She additionally had served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Jón Húmi Kristgeirsson cabinet from 1992 until 1993, and as a member of the Orthing from 1984 until her retirement in 2014. Eybjört was the third woman to serve as prime minister and the first to lead the Independence Party.

Born to a middle-class family in Narísandur, Eybjört completed her upper secondary education in 1960, later graduating from the University of Velkania with a degree in political science in 1963. After graduating, Eybjört became a career diplomat, finding work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She worked in diplomacy for several years, being stationed in Zakarina from 1965 until 1967, Senovo from 1967 until 1969, and Wazada from 1969 until 1970. In 1970, she returned to Narísandur and began working within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again, later being appointed to Director of Regional Affairs in 1978. Eybjört began a career in elected politics in 1984, after standing for election to the Orthing in the 1984 election for the Independence Party. She ultimately was elected, and later took her seat on 12 July 1984.

Spending most of her early political career in the opposition, Eybjört began to emerge as a prominent member in her party amongst its emerging right-wing nationalist faction. Following the 1992 election, the party won a majority of seats and entered into the governing coalition. Eybjört was nominated by Jón Húmi Kristgeirsson to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs in his cabinet, becoming the most senior minister below the prime minister. In May 1993, Jón resigned from his posts amidst the Project Fríða controversy. Eybjört emerged as the top contender to succeed him, and was ultimately selected as his successor in a party conference. Upon assuming the offices of prime minister and party leader, Eybjört became the third woman to serve in the former and the first in the latter, later nominating her first cabinet, which included her husband Kolbjörn Valdason as Minister of Foreign Affairs, inciting controversy. In office, Eybjört led a right-wing government, focusing efforts on preserving tradition, opposing immigration and globalization, and strengthening the free market. Eybjört led the party into an election for the first time during the 1994 snap election after requesting a snap election to increase her parliamentary majority with likeminded right-wing nationalists; however, her plan backfired when the party lost their outright majority, but later negotiated a coalition government in order to remain in power. After losing their majority, calls within the party emerged for Eybjört's resignation, although she refused and later nominated her second cabinet, a governing coalition between the Independence Party and Centrist Party. Her popularity began to grow amongst the right-wing and moderates during her second term in office, later maintaining her coalition government after the 1998 general election, nominating her third cabinet.

Eybjört and the Independence Party fell out of the governing coalition following the 2002 election, when the Social Democratic Party took control of parliament. Following her return to the opposition, Eybjört was expected to resign from the party leadership, as most former prime ministers do. However, she publicly stated that she would not resign as party leader, and instead planned to "return the Independence Party to the government." Her decision was controversial, with critics referring to her refusal to resign as "authoritarian" and "dictatorial." She ultimately led the party again into the 2006 election, which saw another loss for the party. Following this, calls for her resignation began to grow within the party, although she continued to refuse to resign. In 2007, Björn Sigurleifur Magnússon challenged her to a leadership election, which she narrowly won after receiving 50.9% of the vote. Following her narrow win, Eybjört led the party into the 2010 election, where the party continued to lose seats. Realizing that she had to resign at this point, Eybjört tendered her resignation shortly after the election, and was ultimately succeeded by Árgeir Ljósálfur Vagnsson. She retired from politics at the end of the parliamentary term in 2014, serving nearly 30 years in parliament.

Eybjört is the second longest-serving prime minister in Velkanian history, with 8 years and 311 days in office, while she is the longest-serving Independence Party leader, with 16 years and 354 days in office. Eybjört is considered to be a controversial figure in Velkanian politics, receiving some praise from the right-wing for her *laissez-faire* economics, opposition to immigration and globalization, and desire to preserve tradition, while receiving widespread criticism from the left-wing for policies described as "xenophobic" and for destabilizing and weakening government programs, labor rights, and welfare, while also receiving criticism from the right for being accused of power-hungry actions and shifting the Independence Party away from the center-right and further into the right-wing. In 2019, she was named to the Order of the Ice Dragon by Ragnhildur II for her contributions to Velkanian politics and the representation of women in politics, although this was considered controversial.

## Early life and education

Eybjört was born on 2 November 1940 in Narísandur to parents Hólmsteinn Vígþórsson (1914–1997) and Ragnhildur Úddadattir (1916–1991). Her father worked in advertising, while her mother was a secretary, and both were adamant supporters of the Velkanian National Party and Velkanian independence. Eybjört grew up in the Þórlákstaður neighborhood of Narísandur in a middle-class family as the elder of two children; her younger brother was Sæmar Magni (1943–2018).

Eybjört began her education in 1946, attending a local, public primary school in Þórlákstaður. While in primary school, she was gifted student student, but was shy and had few close friends. She graduated in 1956, and afterwards enrolled in Blönvogur Junior College to study a social sciences program, graduating in 1960. After graduating, she enrolled in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Velkania, graduating with a degree in political science in 1963. During her second year of studies, Eybjört studied abroad at King's University Munbach in Munbach for a semester.

## Political career

### Early politics and diplomacy

After graduating with her degree in 1963, Eybjört briefly worked in the private sector until finding employment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within the Office of Eurean Relations in 1964. She soon received her diplomacy credentials, and became a diplomat for the Velkanian government. In 1965, she received her first assignment and was stationed at the Velkanian embassy in Zakarina as a policy coordinator, considered to be one of the most dangerous diplomatic posts due to the restrictive and authoritarian government of the Kashan Union.

In 1967, she was transferred to the Velkanian embassy in Senovo, during the administration of the Federal Republic of Alaslavia, where she worked as a policy coordinator until 1969, when she was transferred to the Velkanian embassy in Wazada, becoming a policy director. Through her various diplomatic positions, Eybjört became an expert on fascist leadership in Eurea, having been stationed in three different fascist nations over the course of five years. In 1970, she returned to Narísandur to work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, becoming the vice-director of the Office of Eurean Relations. She became the office's director in 1974, later being promoted to vice-director of the Department of Regional Affairs in 1976, and becoming the department's director in 1978.

### Member of parliament

Eybjört began a career in elected politics in 1984, when she was included on the Independence Party list for the 1984 general election. Eybjört ultimately was elected to parliament, taking her seat in the Orthing on 12 July 1984. Eybjört's election to parliament came at the start of a right-wing shift within the Independence Party, moving from liberal conservatism more towards national conservatism as they adopted far-right stances on topics such as immigration and globalization, seeking to further isolate the Velkanian Isles.

With her election to parliament, Eybjört quickly began to make a name for herself as one of the leaders of the new right-wing movement within the party. Despite only being within her first term in parliament, Eybjört launched a leadership bid in 1987, in order to succeed the retiring Eðvarð Davíðsson in an attempt to further shift the party towards national conservatism. Eybjört was considered to be a dark horse contender, and ultimately placed fifth within a group of six. She endorsed Jón Húmi Kristgeirsson instead, who ultimately went on to win the leadership election. Eybjört later won reelection in the 1988 election, with a higher position on the party list.

### Minister of Foreign Affairs

The Independence Party received a majority in parliament following the 1992 election, having run with a right-wing national conservative platform led by Jón that emphasized an aversion to immigration and globalization. Prior to the election, representatives from all other parliamentary parties stated that they would refuse to enter a coalition government with Jón or the Independence Party, stating that the party's platform was "racist" and "xenophobic." However, as the party ultimately won an outright majority, no coalition government was needed. Jón nominated Eybjört to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs in his cabinet, becoming the most senior cabinet official and a noted "close advisor" of Jón.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eybjört served as the most senior member of the cabinet below the prime minister, and was responsible for the foreign policy, diplomacy and diplomatic missions, foreign aid, and cooperation with international organizations of the Velkanian Isles. Due to her experience as a diplomat, Eybjört was considered to be an "obvious choice" for the position of foreign affairs minister. As a foreign affairs minister, Eybjört additionally represented the Velkanian Isles in a variety of international summits, notably the Committee of Ministers of the Eurean Council. After taking office, Eybjört began to prioritize a noninterventionist foreign policy, in order to divert funding sent abroad to the Velkanian Isles.

### Prime minister

#### 1993–1994

In May 1993, it emerged that Jón had allowed for the construction of a power facility outside of Narísandur after being paid $1.2 million, knowing that the facility's run-off would taint the drinking water of thousands of Velkanians. The controversy became known as Project Fríða; following the leak, Jón announced that he would be resigning from his posts as prime minister and party leader, and criminal proceedings were levied against him. Eybjört immediately emerged as a likely successor, and speculation regarding Eybjört's future as Jón's successor increased after a number of party officials began to endorse her. A week and a half after Jón's announcement, Eybjört announced her candidacy to succeed him, seeking to continue to the tenure of the party's right-wing nationalist faction in the party leadership. Following the announcement of her candidacy, she was endorsed by Jón himself as his preferred successor. Eybjört's only opposition was Brimir Kristbergsson, a member of the party's center-right liberal conservative faction who was a fierce opponent of Jón during his tenure as leader. Eybjört ultimately defeated Brimir in a party conference, taking office as party leader and prime minister on 25 June 1993; with this, she became the third woman to serve as prime minister and the first to lead the Independence Party.

Eybjört's first cabinet was sworn in the day she became prime minister, which became the first Velkanian cabinet to ever have more women ministers than men. With this, Eybjört began to begin to be considered a prominent Velkanian feminist, with her July 1993 speech on feminism and women's rights becoming a legendary speech regarding Velkanian feminism. However, her first cabinet created widespread controversy, after she nominated her husband Kolbjörn Valdason to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs, in what is typically seen as the most senior cabinet position and the preferred successor of the prime minister. Eybjört was accused of nepotism and attempting to consolidate power within her family. She responded to the criticism by focusing on her husband's diplomacy experience as to why he was nominated to the position, stating that he was "the most qualified individual in parliament for the job." Despite the controversy, he was still appointed to the position by Ragnhildur I along with the rest of her cabinet.

During her first term, Eybjört led a right-wing nationalist government that sought to isolate the Velkanian Isles from globalization attempts, in addition to restricting immigration to the Velkanian Isles. Her 1993 immigration reform bill sought to effectively ban immigration from 27 countries, primarily in Helonesia and Tarfica, but was shot down due to intra-party disagreements. Throughout her first term, both the popularity of herself and her party began to decline.

#### 1994–2002

In the summer of 1994, Eybjört faced difficulties in advancing her political platform due to disagreements between the center-right liberal conservative faction of her party and the right-wing nationalist faction that she belonged to. In an attempt to increase the amount of right-wing nationalists in parliament, Eybjört launched a plan to request a snap election in September 1994, which saw her removing a number of liberal conservatives from the party list in favor of non-politicians who belonged to her right-wing nationalist faction.

Eybjört led the party into the snap election, her first time serving as leader during an election. With modest polling and mediocre expectations, the party still managed to hold onto their parliamentary plurality by a decent margin, but lost their majority, with her plan massively backfiring. Following this result, widespread calls for Eybjört's resignation began to grow throughout the party, primarily amongst its center-right liberal conservative membership, while members of Eybjört's faction defended her tenure as leader. In an October 1994 speech, Eybjört unequivocally denied that she would resign as leader. After the certification of election results, coalition building began. Similarly to the 1992 election, all parliamentary parties initially refused to form a coalition with the Independence Party. However, no coalition agreement was mathematically possible without the inclusion of the Independence Party, as all five opposition parties refused to work together. Eybjört opened coalition talks with the Liberal-Conservative Party, ultimately working out a coalition deal. As part of the coalition agreement, Eybjört pledged to limit her opposition to globalization, affirming her support for the Supranational Council. After negotiating the coalition, she nominated her second cabinet, which governed as a center-right liberal conservative government with some right-wing nationalist elements. The government continued to oppose immigration but additionally began to move their focus to preserving tradition by opposing LGBT rights, abortion, and various forms of social welfare in order to promote a *laissez-faire* economy.

During her second term in office amidst Eybjört's distancing from right-wing nationalism, both herself and her government began to rise in popularity. She later led the party into the 1998 election, which saw the Independence Party regain their majority in parliament, ending their coalition government with the Liberal-Conservative Party. With this, Eybjört abandoned the center-right liberal conservative governing she had pursued during her second term, instead returning to right-wing nationalism. However, advisors noted that she "treaded carefully" in order to avoid alienating large swathes of the population like she had during her first term. She later nominated her third cabinet, which governed as right-wing nationalists. They continued opposing socially liberal reforms, while also re-prioritizing an opposition to globalization.

### Return to opposition

Eybjört led the party into the 2002 election, which saw widespread campaigning from the left-wing and center in order to vote her out of office. While the Independence Party maintained a slight plurality in parliament, they lost their majority and were in danger of being removed from the government. As coalition building began, the Social Democrats ultimately negotiated a coalition agreement with the Green-Socialists and Velkanian People's Party, removing Eybjört and the Independence Party from the government and moving them into the opposition.

After entering the opposition, calls for Eybjört to resign as party leader became widespread, especially amongst the center-right bloc of the party. In a July 2002 interview, Eybjört stated that she would not resign as party leader as she considered herself to be the winner of the 2002 election, as the Independence Party still received the most votes and held the most seats in parliament. Her decision to not resign was controversial, as it is customary for former prime ministers to resign as party leaders after their party goes from the government to the opposition. Critics referred to her refusal to resign as "authoritarian" and "dictatorial."

Eybjört later led the party into the 2006 election, where the party lost their plurality but still gained a seat. Afterwards, calls for Eybjört's resignation grew even louder, although Eybjört continued to refuse to resign. In 2007, Björn Sigurleifur Magnússon challenged her to a leadership election, which later came to be seen as a civil war between the right-wing nationalist and center-right liberal conservative factions of the party. Eybjört went on to receive 50.9% of the vote, securing her position as party leader. Eybjört went on to use this victory as evidence that party members wanted to see her as leader, and that resigning was "a move unpopular within the party." Eybjört led the party into the 2010 election, where the party lost two seats. Realizing that she had to resign at this point, Eybjört tendered her resignation shortly after the election, and was ultimately succeeded by Árgeir Ljósálfur Vagnsson, whose victory was said to be a symbol of the defeat of the right-wing nationalist bloc of the party, instead ushering in center-right liberal conservative leadership. She retired from politics at the end of the parliamentary term in 2014, serving nearly 30 years in parliament.

In 2019, Eybjört was named to the Order of the Ice Dragon by Ragnhildur II for her contributions to Velkanian politics and the representation of women in politics. This move was considered highly controversial, as Eybjört is considered to be a polarizing and controversial figure within Velkanian politics. A spokesperson for the Queen stated that "all decisions are heavily scrutinized by a team of experts across the spectrum in any given field, and this team determined that Eybjört was a suitable candidate for the honor despite criticism she has faced throughout her career."

## Personal life

Eybjört began a relationship with Velkanian diplomat and politician Kolbjörn Valdason in 1964, while both worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They became engaged after only six months of dating, and later married in 1966. Eybjört and Kolbjörn have two children together: Eirík Kristján, born  (1968-02-13) 13 February 1968 (age 55), and Guðrún María, born  (1969-07-02) 2 July 1969 (age 54). Guðrún is currently a politician with the Independence Party, serving as a member of the Orthing.

Since beginning their relationship in 1964, Eybjört and Kolbjörn planned their careers together, both receiving diplomat credentials in 1965, and transferring between embassies together until collectively deciding to return to the Velkanian Isles in 1970. They both began careers in elected politics during the 1984 election, and both were included in the First Jón Húmi Kristgeirsson cabinet. After becoming prime minister, Eybjört additionally included Kolbjörn in her first cabinet, which elicited a controversy. Kristbjörn decided to retire from politics in 1994, thus not being included in any of her subsequent cabinets.

Eybjört and Kolbjörn reside together in Húsavík, and have resided in the same home since the 1970s, apart from their nearly nine-year stay in Garðaröst during Eybjört's tenure as prime minister. Eybjört is a polyglot who is fluent in multiple languages: her native language is Velkanian, while she is also fluent in Framish, Ditrovian, Maldonian, and Kashan, while she has "varying proficiency" in Alaslavian, Lungarian, and Zatranian.