Welcome to the Reykjavík Grapevine’s Iceland Roundup, your go-to source for the latest news infused with local insights. In this week’s episode, our publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin editor Aðalsteinn Kjartansson (later replaced by Grapevine editor-in-chief Bart Cameron) and long-time contributor Sindri Eldon. Together, they sift through the headlines that have captured the public’s attention over the past few weeks.
On the agenda this week:
U.S. ambassadorial nominee Billy Long has once again delighted the Icelandic public with his humor ahead of his arrival. Previously, he quipped about his aspirations to lead ICE, only for his ambitions to be misunderstood by Donald Trump, who instead appointed him as ambassador to Iceland.
In a recent Congressional session, Long joked that he might just become Iceland’s first governor rather than its ambassador, playfully suggesting that the country could soon be the United States’ 52nd state. This remark, however, did not sit well with the Icelanders, who were under the impression that Greenland would take that honor first.
Gudbrandur Einarsson, an MP representing Viðreisn (the Reform Party), resigned from Parliament following revelations about an attempted purchase of prostitution services back in 2012. Although he was questioned by the police at the time, he stated he was never charged with any crime. His resignation came just as Vísir was preparing to report on this scandal.
In international relations, President Trump has imposed tariffs on all Scandinavian countries, as well as Germany, France, and the Netherlands, in an apparent strategy to exert pressure on NATO allies while pushing for the acquisition of Greenland. Notably absent from this list is Iceland, leading to speculation that Trump may have simply overlooked it.
The landscape of Iceland’s demographics is shifting dramatically. Currently, there are 83,950 foreign residents in Iceland, representing just over 20% of the population—up from 15% five years ago. In certain municipalities, such as Vík í Mýrdal, where foreign nationals make up 67.4% of the population, this figure is even higher. Other areas like Skaftárhreppur and Bláskógabyggð are not far behind, with 46% and 39% respectively. It’s noteworthy that according to Statistics Iceland, at least 44% of those working in the tourism sector are foreign nationals.
