The President safeguards our national social contract
We believe the President of Iceland safeguards our national social contract or the standards we have agreed upon as a society and have been proven good for us. The role of the President is to ensure that we look to what unites us rather than what divides us as a society. It has seldom been more important than now to stop and preserve our shared cultural heritage and embrace a diverse society.
We want a president who speaks up for the nation’s people without arrogance, both domestically and internationally. In Iceland, the President is the only publicly elected representative elected by the citizens of Iceland irrespective of political parties. The significance of the office is therefore of great significance to the people of Iceland.
The president is a unifying symbol for the nation meaning there is a direct and unmediated relationship between the nation and the president. The president must always, without any exceptions, have the nation’s best overall interests in mind. The president is obligated to respect our parliamentary democracy in all significant aspects concerning its legislative role and ensure that the country has a functioning government based on the will of the parliament, called Alþingi.
However if Alþingi, for any reason, should go too far and violate the national social contract, the president must be ready to intervene and refer matters directly to the people. This could occur, for example, if Alþingi were to restrict the freedom of expression, civil rights, women’s rights, or rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community. That might sound far-fetched here in Iceland, but unfortunately, this is what we are witnessing increasingly in countries we believe we share common values with.
It is therefore important for us to stay alert. The president has to stay alert on the watch. The president has to guard and protect the best interests of our nation!
In this context, it is important to note that the President needs to be able to speak firmly to the other leaders. The President must have the courage to earnestly and rationally address government officials.
The President must never be complicit with those in power or other ruling forces in society, as the President represents the nation’s best interests.
