Björn Bjarnason
Encyclopedia
Björn Bjarnason is an Iceland
ic politician. His father was Bjarni Benediktsson
, Prime Minister of Iceland
, Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs and Mayor of Reykjavík
.
Matriculating from Reykjavík Junior College in 1964 and graduating in Law (cand. jur.) from the University of Iceland
in 1971, Björn was active in student politics and after graduation worked as a publishing director of Almenna bókafélagið from 1971–1974. As foreign news editor he worked at daily Vísir in 1974, as Deputy Secretary General in the Prime Minister's office from 1974–1975.
Björn also served in the Icelandic Coast Guard
in the 1960s.
Björn worked in the Prime Minister's Office from 1975–1979, as a journalist on Icelandic daily Morgunblaðið
from 1979–1984 and as vice editor of Morgunblaðið from 1984–1991. Björn attended the Bilderberg Group
conference in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995.
Björn was elected to the Althing
in 1991 for the Independence Party
, for the constituency of Reykjavík
. On 23 April 1995 he became Minister for Education, serving until 2002. In 2002, he led the unsuccessful attempt of the Independence Party to win elections to Reykjavík city council
. From 2003 to 2009, he was the Minister for Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs.
Björn has long been interested in matters of security and defense, debating controversially that Iceland should form its own standing military, which it hasn't had since 1869.
He is also the first Icelandic politician to keep his own website, which he started on 19 February 1995 and thus makes him one of the Internet's earliest bloggers, if not the first.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic politician. His father was Bjarni Benediktsson
Bjarni Benediktsson
Bjarni Benediktsson was Prime Minister of Iceland from 14 November 1963 to 10 July 1970. His father, Benedikt Sveinsson , was a leader in the independence movement in Iceland and a member of Althingi from 1908 to 1931.Bjarni studied constitutional law and became professor at the University of...
, Prime Minister of Iceland
Prime Minister of Iceland
The Prime Minister of Iceland is Iceland's head of government. The prime minister is appointed formally by the President and exercises executive authority along with the cabinet subject to parliamentary support....
, Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs and Mayor of Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
.
Matriculating from Reykjavík Junior College in 1964 and graduating in Law (cand. jur.) from the University of Iceland
University of Iceland
The University of Iceland is a public research university in Reykjavík, Iceland, and the country's oldest and largest institution of higher education. Founded in 1911, it has grown steadily from a small civil servants' school to a modern comprehensive university, providing instruction for about...
in 1971, Björn was active in student politics and after graduation worked as a publishing director of Almenna bókafélagið from 1971–1974. As foreign news editor he worked at daily Vísir in 1974, as Deputy Secretary General in the Prime Minister's office from 1974–1975.
Björn also served in the Icelandic Coast Guard
Icelandic Coast Guard
The Icelandic Coast Guard is the service responsible for Iceland's coastal defense and maritime and aeronautical search and rescue. Origins of the Icelandic Coast Guard can be traced to 1859, when the corvette Ørnen started patrolling Icelandic waters...
in the 1960s.
Björn worked in the Prime Minister's Office from 1975–1979, as a journalist on Icelandic daily Morgunblaðið
Morgunblaðið
Morgunblaðið is a newspaper published in Iceland, founded by Vilhjálmur Finsen & Olaf Björnsson, brother to the first president. The first issue, only eight pages long, was published on 2 November 1913. Six years later, in 1919, the corporation Árvakur bought out the company...
from 1979–1984 and as vice editor of Morgunblaðið from 1984–1991. Björn attended the Bilderberg Group
Bilderberg Group
The Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of approximately 120 to 140 guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are people of influence. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from...
conference in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995.
Björn was elected to the Althing
Althing
The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant...
in 1991 for the Independence Party
Independence Party (Iceland)
The Independence Party is a centre-right political party in Iceland. Liberal conservative and Eurosceptic, it is the second-largest party in the Althing, with sixteen seats. The chairman of the party is Bjarni Benediktsson and vice chairman is Ólöf Nordal....
, for the constituency of Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
. On 23 April 1995 he became Minister for Education, serving until 2002. In 2002, he led the unsuccessful attempt of the Independence Party to win elections to Reykjavík city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
. From 2003 to 2009, he was the Minister for Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs.
Björn has long been interested in matters of security and defense, debating controversially that Iceland should form its own standing military, which it hasn't had since 1869.
He is also the first Icelandic politician to keep his own website, which he started on 19 February 1995 and thus makes him one of the Internet's earliest bloggers, if not the first.