Geir Hallgrímsson
| Geir Hallgrímsson link (Politician) | |
|---|---|
| File:Geir Hallgrímsson.jpg | |
| Born | 16 December 1925 Reykjavík, Kingdom of Iceland |
| Died | 1 September 1990 Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Nationality | Iceland |
| Alma mater | University of Iceland, Harvard University |
| Party | Independence Party (Iceland) |
Prime Minister of Iceland, Bilderberg Steering Committee | |
Geir Hallgrímsson was an Icelandic politician who was Prime Minister of Iceland and member of the Bilderberg Steering Committee. He participated in 14 Bilderberg conferences from 1972 to 1990. Geir left government in 1986, becoming one of the three Governors of the Central Bank of Iceland, a position he held till his death in September 1990.
Background
Geir was born into the family of a big merchant and member of the Althing. He graduated from high school in 1944. He received a law degree from the University of Iceland. He headed the Judicial Department of Reykjavik in 1951-1959, and was also the General Director of the law firm H. Benediktsson & Co (1955-1959), and a lawyer for the Supreme Court. Since 1954, he was elected to the City Council of Reykjavik. He studied law and economics one year at Harvard University.[1]
Political career
1959-1972 he was Mayor of Reykjavik, where he contributed to the construction of paved roads and the development of geothermal heating in the city. Thanks to this, he became so popular that in the 1970 mayoral elections he received 99% of the vote. In the same year, he was elected to the Althing, becoming number one on the list of the Independence Party.[1]
He began his political activity in the Independence Party. Since 1965, he has been a member of the executive committee, since 1971, vice-chairman, since 1973 chairman of the party, replacing Johann Hafstein, who resigned for health reasons. In the 1974 parliamentary elections it received 42.5% of the vote and 25 of the 60 seats in the Althing.[1]
1974-1978 he was Prime Minister of Iceland in the center-right coalition cabinet with the Progressive Party. During his premiership, there was a conflict with Great Britain over Iceland's expansion of territorial waters for fishing (the "cod war"), during which diplomatic relations with Britain were severed on February 24, 1976.[1]
In September 1977, he became the first Prime Minister of Iceland to visit the USSR.[2]
In the 1978 elections, the government parties reduced their representation in parliament, and a new government was formed without the participation of the Independence Party. After his party member Gunnar Thoroddsen, having split from the Independence Party, formed a government coalition with the left parties with the participation of three party members, Hallgrímsson led the parliamentary opposition.[1]
In 1983, he lost the election of party leader to Þorsteinn Pálsson and lost his seat in parliament, at the same time resigning from the post of party chairman.[1]
1983-1986 he was Minister of Foreign Affairs in the coalition cabinet of Steingrímur Hermannsson.[1]
After that, he became one of the three governors of the Central Bank of Iceland and held this position until his death.