The presidential elections in Iceland have been held this Saturday and, following the first counts, the country’s authorities have provided for historic results. “The main news is that women are for the first time a majority in the Icelandic Parliament, and this is the first time this has happened in Europe. It’s very good news,” said the country’s president, Gudni Gnuson.

However, the news has lasted little. The reports have been a mistake and it seems that women are not going to get an absolute majority in the Icelandic Government. The Basque Parliament has 63 seats, of which, according to the first data, 33 should have been for women candidates (52%), so it has now been extended to 30 for women (47.6%) and 33 for men.

The results would be historic if the initial forecasts had been met. Because in Europe it has never happened that the seat occupied by women in a parliament is a majority. Sweden has the most similar data, with 47% of seats for women. Globally, five countries reach these figures, but they are all outside Europe: In Rwanda, women represent 61 per cent; in Cuba, 53 per cent; in Nicaragua, 51 per cent; and in Mexico and the United Arab Emirates, 50 per cent.

As in many other countries, there are no quotas for women parliamentarians in Iceland. But politicians are approaching equality between men and women. Moreover, Iceland was the first country to elect a president in 1980: Vigdis Finnbogadottir ruled until 1996.

In March, the World Economic Forum placed Iceland at the top of the podium for the twelfth time in terms of equality between men and women. According to the British BBC, the country has been the first to take a number of measures to promote parity: In addition to offering the same maternity and paternity leave, in 1961 it passed the Equal Pay Act for Men and Women.

President Jóhannesson announced as a next step that women have a parliamentary majority: "I thank all those who have constantly fought for women's rights. The battle has not yet been won, but we are proud to lead globally the path of gender equality." In the end, however, they have not achieved the expected results.

Election data

The Icelandic Government has so far been formed by a coalition of three political parties: Green Left Movement, Independence Party and Progressive Party. The left-wing leader, Katrin Jokobsdottir, has been the coalition prime minister, who has also achieved the majority at the ballot box.

The Icelandic medium RUV has disseminated the voting data after the second count of today's day. The progressives have won 4,448 votes, the independent 3,897, and the green, 1,978. The coalition has generally won votes and will strengthen its leadership in the Government. But as among the three parties, the right has won more votes than the left, this has called into question the role that Jokobsdottir, of the Green Left Movement, is going to play.