Wicelandic Post

“Maybe this is our new version of democracy, Facebook democracy?”
- Kristjan Gretarsson, on Facebook in a discussion on InDefence style petitions.

“I have mixed feelings about this. It has never been the Independence Party’s demand that the government should resign because of this issue, only that it would get a fair treatment. “
- Bjarni Benediktsson, Independence Party MP

“Let’s end this endless thing. Let’s approve the IceSave bill”
- Mordur Arnason, former Social Democrat MP

“I assume that the Central Bank will not be on the receiving end of more currency for a while. The Nordic countries want Iceland to pay IceSave. The US doesn’t care about Iceland, because their army base isn’t there anymore, and Russia refuses to lend us money. Iceland has no friends abroad except for the Faroe Islands. We will possibly be downgraded to junk categories everywhere and receive no loans from abroad. It is a bad situation which we find ourselves in because of you idiots and the president. We live on foreign trade first and foremost and are dependant on good relations with foreign countries. With a mad crowd at home and a demagogue in Bessastadir, we find ourselves up against the wall.”
- Jonas Kristjansson, former editor

“Olafur Ragnar Grimsson says he is convinced that his refusal to sign the bill will lead to unity within the nation. That might be wishful thinking. But what options does the government have, except for resigning?”
- Egill Helgason, television host

“Men of the year, InDefence”
- Einar Bardarson, radio owner and radio-show host

“Thanks Oli – we owe U 1. Darling & Brown”
- Dofri Hermannsson, Social Democrats tells of an SMS being passed on in Iceland

“It just doesn’t work anymore that we have three legislative bodies operating at the same time: one in the government cabinet, one at Austurvollur (Althingi) and the third at Bessastadir (president’s residence). This is ridiculous.”
- Grimur Atlason, Left Greens

“I am having a happy fit. I started crying during the speech.”
- Birgitta Jonsdottir, Movement MP

“Islandsbanki’s analysts say that the reaction in the markets reflect investors expecting a lower cut in Central Bank interest rates at the end of January, the likelyhood of the next IMF review being postponed and that is more likely than not that the government’s financial ratings will be lowered. “
- VB.is The Icelandic Business Paper

“I cannot see how he could have reached any other conclusion”
- Ogmundur Jonasson, Left Green MP

“I look forward to discussing with every person I meet what is exactly said in the official paper #29 and how to interpret the ECOFIN meeting. Is Iceland responsible or not? Are the interest rates acceptable in light of the European Central Bank’s interest rates? Could the people who saved with IceSave know that they were taking a risk and therefore should take the hit themselves? And since we are doing this, should we maybe also take on the accounts on the Isle of Man and Guernsey, which neither the Icelandic or British government seem to want to be responsible for. But no, nobody dares think that we are fighting for justice, just Icelandic interests.”
- Silja Bara Omarsdottir, professor political studies University of Iceland

“An extremely curious sentence in the president’s statement on IceSave: “statements made in Althingi and messages which the president has received from individual MP’s show that there is a majority in Althingi for a referendum”.  Such a proposition was made in Althingi. It was voted on and it was rejected. Can this be counted as an argument for a national referendum? You would expect these MP’s to be responsible with their votes and it cannot be accepted as normal that the president of the republic takes it upon himself to recount votes which have already been cast in Althingi”
- Gudmundur Svanur Runarsson – blogger

“No comment, I stepped aside and I am not going to enter this dance for now. “
- Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir, former Social Democrat leader

“If the referendum will conclude in rejection of the IceSave bill, the government seems to have two options. To retract the bill or resign. Otherwise it will be in opposition with its nation which must be a horrible situation for any government”
- Eirikur Bergmann, professor Bifrost University

“I am very happy with this conclusion and I think it was the most preferable. It will hopefully cancel out the societal rift which had occurred because of it. The president’s veto is a victory for democracy and I think he reached this sensible conclusion after careful consideration. I cannot be anything other than happy with the president.”
- Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, Progressive Party Chairman

“It seems we are headed into another year of rage. Icelanders are beyond any hope. Aren’t you all sick and tired of this already? We are only 300.000 people and this recession could easily be beat if people stood together irrelevant of parties and rage. But everyone is always up against everyone else. Aren’t we first and foremost Icelanders and then something else?”
- Thorkell Mani Petursson, radio host

“I wonder how many % of the nation are knowledgeable enough about this issue to vote in a national referendum?”
- Maria Arnadottir, in a Facebook discussion

“The president’s personal ambitions probably guided him in this decision. He does not want to be remembered as the cheerleader of the businessmen who bankrupted the country. He also enjoys the limelight.”
- Hannes Holmsteinn Gissurarson, professor at University of Iceland, once convicted for copyright infringement

“It is obvious that those who celebrate now are responsible for the poverty which they are enforcing on the Icelandic nation”
- Jon Frimann Jonsson, blogger

“Olafur Ragnar was becoming of the great responsibility bestowed upon him. There is a canyon between the parliament and its nation but the president has found its nation and the nation has found its president. There is no canyon there. The president has sided with the nation.”
- Olafur Arnarsson, author and blogger

“The nature of this issue is that these are negotiations between nations. You simply cannot conduct talks with national referendums. Should the next conclusion then also be put into a national referendum and then again and again? These sort of issues must be concluded within the  democratic parliament. It is hard enough to conduct negotiations with a parliament, let alone a whole nation.”
- Vilhjalmur Thorsteinsson, investor, Social Democrat

“The man in Bessastadir has shown complete irresponsibility with his veto. The government must resign, the country will be anarchic in the name and the parties which caused the collapse will get back to power. With the FL Group sponsored Independence Party at the reins, no one responsible for the economic crash will be punished, except those which are not agreeable to the party. In addition, a fight is on with the Dutch and the Brits which will make the cod wars seem miniscule. This will also be a cod war of sorts, one started by the behaviour of people who act like cods on dry land. God help this doomed country.”
Stefan Snaevarr, professor University of Lillehammer

“I send my condolences to 30% of the nation because of this argument which the majority has now decided to amplify and continue with, and in the process delaying any  rebuilding in Iceland. It is useless now to scream at politicians in dire times. The nation has now, taken all the responsibility of what lies ahead. Everything which follows is thanks to 70% of Icelanders , and InDefence of course.”
- Baldur McQueen, blogger

Related posts:

1. No He Didn’t! President Asks For National Referendum
2. IceSave Referendum: Foreign Press Reaction
3. What Have You Done?