Iceland swore in
its first openly gay and first female head of government
when the new Social Democratic Alliance chose Johanna
Sigurdardottir to be its leader on Sunday.
Icelanders had
once named Sigurdardottir the country's mot popular
politician, with 73% saying that they were satisfied with
her work as minister of social affairs.
While Norway's
finance minister Per-Kristian Foss, who is gay, was that
country's acting prime minister for a brief period in
2002 while both the prime minister and foreign
minister were traveling abroad, Sigurdardottir is
the first gay person to be chosen for a full term as head of
government.
Sigurdardottir entered politics through union activism
as a flight attendant for IcelandAir. She became
minister of social affairs in the outgoing cabinet for
the Social Democrat leader, former prime minister Geir
H. Haarde.
Haarde stepped
down from Iceland's highest political seat after the
nation entered financial devastation and political unrest in
fall 2008.
Sigurdardottir's stint as prime minister may not last
very long, according to CNN. The government forming
under her party is required to last only through April
25, when an election must take place.
Sigurdardottir said one of her first acts as prime
minister will be to "change the leadership of the
central bank," according to the Associated Press.
After Iceland's financial collapse in October, the
nation was forced to seek a $10 billion bailout from the
International Monetary Fund and other countries.
Iceland is also eyeing a move to join the European
Union. (Advocate.com)