Arnar Þór Jónsson set to announce political alignment next week in Iceland

Arnar Þór Jónsson, a former presidential candidate and deputy member of the Independence Party, is expected to announce next week which political party he will be aligning with. Previously, he had considered establishing a new party, but now believes it is better to join an existing one given the current circumstances.

In summer, Arnar Thór expressed his contemplation regarding the founding of a new political party. However, he now indicates that he will reveal his decision after the weekend. He commented that most parties resemble social-democratic forward-looking factions and that many people have lost faith in politics. Additionally, he emphasized the need to oppose Proposal 35, which is intended to be legalized in Parliament.

Arnar Thór believes that now is not the time to invest efforts in starting a new political party, despite a significant need for a classic conservative party on the right side of the political spectrum in Iceland. He argues that the Independence Party has unfortunately strayed from its historical role, transforming into a somewhat “woke” social-democratic EU party that aims to increase the EU’s influence through Proposal 35 or changes to the EEA Agreement.

He has not yet made up his mind about which party to join, stating, “I have not decided yet, but I will make that decision next week.” He added that the process has taken longer than anticipated as he needed to engage in numerous discussions with people in politics and the broader society who are eager for change, indicating that there are many seeking a shift in the political landscape.