Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Speaker of theAlthing | |
| Assumed office 4 February 2025 | |
| President | Halla Tómasdóttir |
| Prime Minister | Kristrún Frostadóttir |
| Preceded by | Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir (acting) |
| Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources | |
| In office 24 May 2007 – 1 February 2009 | |
| Prime Minister | Geir Haarde |
| Preceded by | Jónína Bjartmarz |
| Succeeded by | Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir |
| Member of theAlthing | |
| Assumed office 25 September 2021 | |
| Constituency | Southwest |
| In office 8 May 1999 – 1 February 2011 | |
| Constituency | Reykjanes (1999–2003) Southwest (2003–2011) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1965-11-22)22 November 1965 (age 60) Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Political party | Social Democratic Alliance (2000–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Women's List (1990–2000) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | University of Iceland Johns Hopkins University |
Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir[a] (born 22 November 1965) is an Icelandic politician who has served asSpeaker of theAlthing since 2025.
Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir was born on 22 November 1965, to Sveinbjörn Hafliðason and Anna Huld Lárusdóttir. Shematriculated in 1984. She graduated from theUniversity of Iceland with abachelor of arts degree in political science and media studies in 1989, fromJohns Hopkins University with amaster of arts in international politics in 1991, and from the University of Iceland with a master of arts in applied ethics in 2014.[1]
Þórunn helped Vietnamese refugees while she worked for theIcelandic Red Cross from 1991 to 1992. She was an information office for theInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Tanzania from 1995 to 1996, and in Azerbaijan from 1996 to 1997. She wrote forMorgunblaðið from 1998 to 1999. She was on the board ofLandsvirkjun from 2013 to 2016.[1]
At age 10, Þórunn participated in the1975 Icelandic women's strike with her mother.[2] Þórunn was on the student council and was an alternate member of the university council from 1987 to 1989. She was the chair ofRöskva in 1988. She was the executive director of theWomen's List from 1992 to 1995. She managed the Reykjavík List's campaign in the 1998 Reykjavík city council elections.[1]
Þórunn representedReykjanes from 1999 to 2003, andSouthwest from 2003 to 2011, and since 2021. She was chair of the Social Democratic Alliance's parliamentary group from 2010 to 2011, and deputy chair from 2021 to 2025.[3] She was electedSpeaker of the Althing on 4 February 2025.[4]
During Þórunn's tenure in the Althing she was a member of the Transport and Communications, Agriculture, and Health committees. She was deputy chair of the Foreign Affairs committee in 2009, and chair of the Social Affairs and Social Security committee in 2009, and Constitutional and Supervisory committee from 2021 to 2024.[3]
From 24 May 2007 to 1 February 2009, Þórunn wasMinister for the Environment and Natural Resources.[1]
Þórunn is the mother of one child.[1]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister for the Environment 2007–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Speaker of the Althing 2025–present | Incumbent |
