Iceland has new government “dedicated to cooperation with the IMF”.
Posted by seumasach on February 1, 2009
The IMF remains in the hands of the Washington/London axis. Leaving your economy to their tender mercies guarantees more destruction of the real economy and more concentration of wealth. Until such time as we have global institutions which have broken definitively with the Anglo-American neo-liberal project, countries like Iceland have to seek support elsewhere, in Europe and beyond, in Russia and China. Austerity is inevitable and the consumer society is finished, but the economy’s ability to provide the basic requirements for the people must be protected at all costs. This will be the focus of next phase of Iceland’s revolution and involves the struggle against IMF strictures and the search for support elsewhere.
1st February, 2009
A new government for Iceland was announced at a press conference at Hótel Borg in Reykjavík half an hour ago. Katrín Jakobsdóttir and Steingrímur J. Sigfússon of the Left-Greens and Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir and Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir of the Social Democrats spoke during the conference.
Prospective Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir. Photo by Páll Kjartansson.
Gísladóttir, chairwoman of the Social Democrats, launched the conference saying that it was important to secure an operable administration, mbl.is reports. Gísladóttir, who is recovering from surgery, will not continue as foreign minister.
Prospective Prime Minister Sigurdardóttir said the new coalition will focus on restarting the economy and protecting the households. The new coalition will emphasize a responsible economic management and undertake many projects in a short period of time, she promised.
A strategy to fulfill these promises will be presented next week. Sigurdardóttir also said that the agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be honored and that the new government is dedicated to cooperate with the IMF.
According to ruv.is, the ministries will be allocated to the following MPs:
Prime Minister: Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir of the Social Democrats.
Minister of Social Affairs: Ásta Ragnheidur Jóhannesdóttir of the Social Democrats.
Minister of Industry and Minister for Foreign Affairs: Össur Skarphédinsson of the Social Democrats.
Minister of Transport: Kristján Möller of the Social Democrats.
Minister of Finance, Fisheries and Agriculture: Steingrímur J. Sigfússon of the Left-Greens.
Minister of Health: Ögmundur Jónasson of the Left-Greens.
Minister of Education: Katrín Jakobsdóttir of the Left-Greens.
Minister of the Environment: Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir of the Left-Greens.
Two new ministers do not have a seat in parliament:
Minister of Business Affairs: Gylfi Magnússon, associate professor of economics at the University of Iceland.
Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs: Ragna Árnadóttir, the ministry’s current undersecretary.
The next parliamentary elections are scheduled for April 25.
The new government has yet to be formally appointed by the president.
In These New Times 
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[…] element. They are not about to become a Dubai of the north and they will resist as they must resist tutelage to the IMF, to global finance. They will resist colonisation and […]