Daði Guðmar Tjörvason

*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* Daði.

**Daði Guðmar Tjörvason** (born 30 December 1959) is a Velkanian politician who has served as Minister of Public Health in both the first and second Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinets since 2014. He has additionally served as a member of the Orthing since 2006, and is a member of the Liberal-Conservative Party.

Daði was born in Seltjargerði, and graduated from Narísandur Junior College in 1980. After graduating, he enrolled in the University of Velkania, where he graduated with his medical degree in 1986. He subsequently began his medical trainee program at Velkania University Hospital and Medical Center, where he began training to become an anesthesiologist. He completed the trainee program in 1988, and subsequently received qualifications to practice as an anesthesiologist. He was then hired as an anesthesiologist at Velkania University Hospital and Medical Center, becoming a member of its rapid response team. In 2001, Daði became the head of anesthesiology at the hospital. He left his medical career in 2006, in order to enter politics. He was elected to the Orthing in the 2006 election, becoming a prominent member of the centrist bloc of the Liberal-Conservatives.

While initially seen as a potential future party leader, Daði stepped aside and endorsed Sif María Vilhjálmardattir in the 2013 leadership election. Following the 2014 election, Daði was nominated to serve as Minister of Public Health in the first Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet. He remained in the same position after the government dissolved and the second Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet was formed, being one of only three ministerial appointments to remain in the same position. In the position, Daði has pledged that changes made to the Velkanian healthcare system would be "minimal," believing that their current system was "efficient and wonderful."

Daði has been hailed as a "bridge candidate" who would be able to link the party's centrist and liberal future while also not alienating the party's past demographic of wealthy older men. He has been cited as a likely future party leader and possible future Prime Minister, being identified as one of the most likely candidates to succeed Sif following her eventual retirement from office.

## Early life and education

Daði was born on 30 December 1959 in Seltjargerði to parents Tjörvi Bjarni Árnason (1931–1976) and Anna Sif Sævarsdattir (born 1935). His father worked in advertising, while his mother was a primary school teacher. Daði is the eldest of three children and only son; his younger sisters are Edda María, born  (1962-04-18) 18 April 1962 (age 61), and Þórhildur Lúðvíka, born  (1965-08-01) 1 August 1965 (age 58).

Daði began his education in 1966, attending a local, public primary school in Seltjargerði. He had wished to become a doctor ever since he was four years old. Daði graduated from primary school in 1976, subsequently enrolling in Narísandur Junior College, commuting from Seltjargerði to Narísandur to attend school; while enrolled, he studied a natural sciences and mathematics program. When he was 16 years old, his father died unexpectedly of a heart attack, and Daði began working part-time jobs in order to provide a second income for his family. He graduated from upper secondary school in 1980, and subsequently enrolled in the Brandr Kolbjörnsson Medical Institute at the University of Velkania, graduating with a medical degree in 1986.

## Medical career

After graduating with his medical degree in 1986, Daði began a medical trainee program at Velkania University Hospital and Medical Center, where he began training to become an anesthesiologist. He completed the trainee program in 1988, and subsequently received qualifications to practice as an anesthesiologist.

He was then hired as an anesthesiologist at Velkania University Hospital and Medical Center, becoming a member of its rapid response team. In 2001, Daði became the head of anesthesiology at the hospital. He left his medical career in 2006, in order to enter politics.

## Political career

### Early politics

Daði had for a long time been an enrolled member of the Liberal-Conservatives. Following reforms made by former party leader Heinrekur Jón Jónsson throughout the 2000s, Daði became more interested in politics and more strongly a supporter of the party. Daði began his political career in 2006, after being elected to the Orthing in the 2006 general election.

Upon his election, Daði aligned himself closely with Heinrekur, and was said to be one of his closest's protégés. The media alleged that a rift existed between Daði and Sif María Vilhjálmardattir, with both competing for the position of Heinrekur's chosen successor, but both Daði and Sif have confirmed that no such rift existed and that it was a "media invention." After taking his seat, Daði became affiliated with the centrist bloc of Liberal-Conservatives led by Heinrekur.

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

### Minister of Public Health

Following the 2014 election, Daði was nominated to serve as Minister of Public Health in the first Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet. The post was said to be Daði's "dream job," and he had reportedly been lobbying Sif for months in the hopes that she would nominate him to the position.

As Minister of Public Health, Daði expressed his support for the current Velkanian healthcare system, believing that "massive reforms" were not necessary. He has been a frequent critic of the Green-Socialist Party's proposal to turn the Velkanian public healthcare system into a nationalized system of healthcare where all medical professionals, hospitals, and clinics were public sector, calling it a "logistical nightmare." Following the 2018 election, Daði continued to serve as Minister of Public Health in the second Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet, being one of only three appointed ministers to remain in the same position.

In his second term, Daði advocated for a "gradual introduction" of private healthcare providers in order to introduce competition between the private and public sector. The proposal was heavily criticized by a number of groups, including coalition partners the People's Party and Reform Party, resulting in Daði rolling back his comments. In 2019, he stated that the government had "no plans" to introduce competitive private healthcare providers.

## Personal life

Daði began a relationship with Velkanian trauma nurse Halldóra María Ísmarsdattir in 1990, as they both worked in the same hospital. They became engaged in 1993, and later married the following year. They had two children together: Björk Arnóra, born  (1997-09-12) 12 September 1997 (age 26), and Kristján Tjörvi, born  (1999-07-23) 23 July 1999 (age 24). Halldóra filed for divorce from Daði in 2005, citing irreconcilable differences; the divorce was finalized the following year. Both Daði and Halldóra shared joint custody of their two children until they came of age.

Daði began a relationship with Velkanian realtor Björghildur Sóldís Magnúsdattir in 2012, who is nineteen-years his junior. They became engaged a year after beginning their relationship, and later married in 2015. They have one daughter together, Hildur Agnes, born  (2017-06-20) 20 June 2017 (age 6), who was born via surrogacy. The family resides in Húsavík.