Tagged: Iceland

According to Petsinclude, Iceland is a parliamentary republic with a unicameral legislature, the Althingi, which is composed of 63 members elected by popular vote every four years. The head of government is the Prime Minister (Forsætisráðherra), who is appointed by the President (Forstjóri) after consultation with the Althingi. The President is elected for a four-year term by direct popular vote and can serve up to two consecutive terms. The executive branch of government consists of several ministries responsible for different areas such as finance, foreign affairs and defense. The Prime Minister appoints all ministers and is responsible for setting the government’s policy agenda. The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court (Hæstiréttur), which hears appeals from lower courts; county courts (Landsréttar) which handle civil and criminal cases; and administrative courts (Réttar) which hear appeals against decisions made by local governments. In addition to these branches of government, Iceland also has an independent ombudsman’s office (Alþingismálaflutningur), which handles complaints related to human rights violations or issues concerning civil liberties. There are also several independent watchdogs that monitor public administration, such as Iceland’s Supreme Audit Office (Ríkislöggæsla), which controls public spending; its Data Protection Authority (Persónuverndarráðuneyti); its Competition Authority (Samkeppniseftirlitið); its Media Authority (Fjölmiðlaráðuneyti); and its Corruption Prevention Office (Korrupciónvarnir). Overall, Iceland’s government system combines traditional parliamentary democracy with elements of direct democracy through referendum initiatives on important issues such as EU accession or constitutional amendments. This hybrid system gives citizens more direct control over their political future while still allowing for checks-and-balances from both branches of government in order to ensure stability in a rapidly changing world economy. Iceland is a Nordic nation with a long history of strong diplomatic relationships with other countries. As a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the Schengen Area, Iceland has close ties to its European neighbors, particularly Norway and Denmark. Iceland also has strong economic ties to the United States and Canada due to its participation in the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Iceland is an active participant in international organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, OSCE, Council of Europe and World Trade Organization (WTO). Iceland’s foreign policy has traditionally been focused on strengthening regional cooperation in Europe and improving bilateral ties with other countries. The Icelandic government actively participates in regional organizations such as the Nordic Council and Barents Euro-Arctic Council. In addition, Iceland plays an important role in maintaining peace and stability in the Arctic region. The Icelandic government also seeks to increase its presence on the global stage by engaging with countries from other regions such as China, Russia, India and Brazil. In recent years, Iceland has become increasingly involved in international efforts towards mitigating climate change. Iceland places great importance on human rights issues and works closely with other countries to promote democracy around the world. It is a signatory of numerous international treaties related to human rights protection including those under the International Labour Organization (ILO). Additionally, Iceland is an active participant in UN peacekeeping operations across multiple continents including Africa and Europe. See relationshipsplus for Iceland defense and foreign policy.