Fúsi Bastíansson

*This is a Velkanian name. The last name is a family name, but this person should be referred to by the given name* Fúsi*.*

**Fúsi Bastíansson** (born 24 December 1958) is a Velkanian politician and scientist who has served as Co-Leader of the Green-Agrarian Party since 2012, serving with Gunnrún Úlla Jörvarsdætr. From 2012 to 2016, he served as Minister of Finance in the first cabinet of Síf María Vílhelmsdætr, and has additionally served in the Stádlink in 2004. He was the first openly LGBT Velkanian person and first openly gay Velkanian male to serve as a cabinet minister.

Born in Naríthjábæk, Fúsi graduated from Naríthjábæk Junior College in 1978, and afterwards enrolled in the University of Velkania. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology in 1981, later receiving his master's degree in 1983, and a PhD in 1987. During and shortly after graduate school, Fúsi took part in biological research at the University of Velkania, and afterwards began working as a laboratory biologist in 1989. Fúsi was elected to the Stádlink for the Green-Agrarians in the 2004 election, representing the Capital Region constituency. He and Gunnrún Úlla Jörvarsdætr were elected party leaders in 2012, tasked with leading the party into the 2012 election, where the party saw great success and entered a majority governing coalition with the Liberal-Democrats. Fúsi was appointed Minister of Finance in the first cabinet of Síf María Vílhelmsdætr, but lost his place in the cabinet and his party's place in the coalition after losing a number of seats in the 2016 election.

## Early life and education

Fúsi was born on 24 December 1958 in Naríthjábæk to parents Bastían Kristjánsson (1918–1992) and Bjarklind Brá Arnarsdætr (born 1929). His father worked in the energy industry, while his mother was a primary school teacher. Fúsi is the youngest of three children; his elder siblings include Björn, born  (1955-02-13) 13 February 1955 (age 68), and Katrín, born  (1957-01-28) 28 January 1957 (age 67). He grew up in a middle-class pro-independence family in the Húsahöfn district of Naríthjábæk.

### Education and scientific career

Fúsi began his education in 1965, attending a local public primary school in Húsahöfn. Due to his exceptional intelligence, his teachers asked his parents if they wanted to accelerate his education by a year, but they declined, stating that they did not want to risk social ostracism for him. Fúsi graduated from primary school in 1975, and then began attending Naríthjábæk Junior College, studying a natural sciences and mathematics program. Fúsi graduated from high school in 1978.

After finishing high school, Fúsi enrolled in the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Velkania. He graduated with a degree in biology in 1981, later receiving his master's degree in 1983, and a PhD in 1987. While a PhD student, Fúsi began working as a researcher at the University of Velkania, and continued this job as a postdoctoral researcher until 1989. In 1989, Fúsi began working as a laboratory biologist at a lab in Naríthjábæk, working in studies on the environment, insects and animals, and environmental issues.

## Political career

### Political beginnings

Fúsi had been active in Green-Agrarian politics for a number of years, being a registered member of the party since turning 16. He began attending rallies and demonstrations for the party in the 1980s, and later began paying more attention to the party and politics during the climate crisis of the 2000s.

In 2004, Fúsi applied to stand as a candidate in the 2004 election in the Capital Region constituency of the Stádlink. He went on to be elected, and has been reelected in 2008, 2012, and 2016.

### Co-Leader of the Green-Agrarians

In late-2011, former party leaders Hildar Magnússon and Björk Anna Daríusdætr were approaching the end of their second term as leaders, and were unable to run for reelection for a third term due to term limits within the party. Fúsi and Gunnrún Úlla Jörvarsdætr soon declared their candidacy to run for the position of Co-Leaders of the Green-Agrarian Party in November 2011. The Green-Agrarian Party is the only Velkanian political party to employ a co-leader system; each set of co-leaders must also consist of one male and one female.

Fúsi and Gunnrún Úlla were the only sitting members of parliament to declare their candidacy in the election, and were widely expected to be elected party leaders. They went on to win the election, and took office on 15 January 2012, being tasked with leading the party into the 2012 election. Fúsi and Gunnrún Úlla were later reelected as party leaders for a second and final term in 2016, running unopposed.

#### Minister of Finance

Now leading the party, Fúsi and the Green-Agrarian won a number of seats in the 2012 election, leading to a majority coalition with the Liberal-Democrats, led by Síf María Vílhelmsdætr. With Síf María as Prime Minister, she had Fúsi appointed Minister of Finance in her first cabinet, becoming the first openly LGBT Velkanian person and first openly gay Velkanian male to serve as a cabinet minister.

Fúsi served as Minister of Finance from 2012 to 2016. During the 2016 election, the Green-Agrarians suffered a major defeat and their coalition with the Liberal-Democrats collapsed. With this collapse, Fúsi lost his position as a cabinet minister, and reentered parliament as a member of the opposition.

## Personal life

Fúsi is openly gay; he first came out privately in the 1980s, but came out publicly after announcing his engagement to longtime boyfriend Karl Jökull Grímkellsson, a bioengineer, in 2007. Fúsi and Karl Jökull had begun dating in the late-1980s, and became engaged shortly after the legalization of same-sex marriage in the Velkanian Isles; they later married in 2008.

Fúsi and Karl Jökull have two children together: Gunnar Fúsisson-Karlsson, born  (2010-07-01) 1 July 2010 (age 13), and Bíbí Fúsisdætr-Karlsdætr, born  (2011-11-01) 1 November 2011 (age 12). Both children were born via the same surrogate mother who was a friend of Fúsi and Karl Jökull; Gunnar is the biological child of Fúsi, while Bíbí is the biological child of Karl Jökull. The family resides in Naríthjábæk.