Sigmundur Ernir Runarsson, Social Democrat MP, accused the Progressive Party of contempt for women after its MPs are alleged to have criticised Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir; saying that she lets others write her speeches and has been home baking while Icesave has been on the agenda.
“Progressive Party MPs have repeatedly and haughtily stood at the Althingi rostrum saying that Johanna Sigurdardottir, the Prime Minister, is either at home baking when the Icesave bill comes up for discussion, or that she lets others write her speeches, which are also, apparently, lifeless and boring,” Runarsson said on his blog site.
In Monday’s parliamentary debate on the Icesave bill, Progressive Party leader Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson accused the Prime Minister of not having a clue about Icesave – Landsbanki’s failed savings arm in the UK and Netherlands which the Icelandic nation is now being asked to reimburse.
“I find it totally unacceptable that in this, probably the most economically important issue to come before Althingi, that the Prime Minister of Iceland should come up here and read her speech like a robot; totally without feeling and totally without understanding of the issue,” Gunnlaugsson said.
Sigmundur Ernir Runarsson did not take well to this, stating that the Progressive Party would never be acting like this if the Prime Minister was a man.
The bill has been stalled in parliament by opposition parties, including the Progressive Party. Some of Johanna Sigurdardottir’s Social Democrat partners are openly frustrated and bored by the ongoing process – a fact that could be behind the PM’s lacklustre speeches.