First Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet

The **first Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet** (Velkanian: *Fyrsta Sif María Vilhjálmardattir skáp*) was the 19th government of the Velkanian Isles. The cabinet was sworn in on 30 March 2014, after Sif María Vilhjálmardattir was nominated by Ragnhildur II to serve as prime minister and confirmed by the Orthing, and was dissolved on 13 March 2018, following the swearing in of her second cabinet.

The government was supported by a coalition between the Liberal-Conservative Party and Centrist Party after the Liberal-Conservatives won a plurality of seats in the 2018 election. This was the first government formed by Sif.

## History

### Background

On 24 April 2013, Heinrekur Jón Jónsson announced that he'd be standing down as leader of the Liberal-Conservatives and that he would not be leading the party into the upcoming 2014 election. Following his announcement, a leadership election was triggered that Sif María Vilhjálmardattir was highly favored to win. Seen as the preferred choice of the party elite, Sif soon announced her candidacy and faced right-wing conservative political outsider Gréta Íngolfursdattir as her only opposition. Sif went on to win the election handily and was elected party leader.

Tasked with leading the party into the upcoming election, Sif sought out women and the youth, believing that they were vital demographics that the party had failed to appeal to in the past. She promised to diversify the party, bringing in more woman and young people and pledging to break away from the party's stereotype of prioritizing the interests of wealthy older men. In the run-up to the election, Sif spoke at upper secondary schools, universities, and women's shelters in order to diversify the party's electorate.

Just prior to the election, the party had surged in polling, competing with the Social Democrats for a plurality of seats in parliament. In the weeks preceding the election, the party continued to surge to astronomical lengths, looking possible to hold a majority in parliament all on their own.

### Formation

Following the 2014 election, the Liberal-Conservatives won a plurality of seats, meaning that Sif María Vilhjálmardattir would be a highly likely contender for prime minister. As she held a plurality, Ragnhildur II entrusted Sif with forming a government on 17 February 2014.

Prior to the election, Sif swore off any potential coalition deal with the Independence Party or the Green-Socialist Party, calling them "radicals" and reaffirming her party's support for "moderate and pragmatic" solutions to issues. Just prior to coalition building, she affirmed that she would not form a coalition with the Social Democratic Party, stating that the "election results were proof that the Velkanian people desired new leadership." On 18 February, the media began to report that Sif had begun talks with the Centrist Party, who was reported to be her "ideal coalition partner." Sif had additionally reportedly been close friends with Auðdís Heiða Guðleikardattir for several years.

On 20 March, it was reported that a coalition agreement had been reached between the Liberal-Conservatives and the Centrists, and the news was confirmed by both respective party leaders later that day. The delay in the coalition agreement's finalization was due to Auðdís's decision to take a short two-week maternity leave following the birth of her first child, when coalition discussions were briefly paused. On 21 March, the two party leaders began discussing ministerial appointments. The first Sif María Vilhjálmardattir cabinet was later announced on 30 March, and they were sworn into office by Ragnhildur II later that day.

Following the cabinet's announcement, it received widespread media attention both nationally and internationally, where it was labeled the "world's youngest government." Keeping with Sif's promise to bring young people into politics and the party, the median age of government ministers was only 36, by far the youngest median age of any Velkanian cabinet in history.

## Cabinet

Cabinet members are listed in an unofficial order of precedence, as decided by the head of government. Not including the prime minister, there were eleven ministerial positions; the Liberal-Conservatives held seven ministerial posts and the Centrists held four ministerial posts.