Baldur Þórhallsson is a Professor of political science at the University of Iceland and research director at the Research Center for Small States here in Iceland. Baldur’s research and teaching areas concern small states, Iceland’s foreign policy, European studies, and international relations.
Baldur’s interest in politics was sparked through listening to political conversations in his youth in Rangárvallasýsla, where domestic and foreign affairs were attentively discussed, additionally, as a child he followed all the news.
Baldur was born in Selfoss on January 25 1968, but grew up on the farm Ægissíðu on the banks of Ytri-Rangá. Baldur’s parents are Þorbjörg Hansdóttir (Obba, 1939 – 2013), a merchant, and Þórhallur Ægir Þorgilsson (b. 1939), a master electrician. Baldur’s grandfather and grandmother, Þorgils Jónsson and Kristín Filippusdóttir, also lived on Ægissíðu and practiced mixed farming. Baldur helped around on the farm from a young age, but national affairs were always calling, and it just so happened that when he was young Baldur named the sheep after well-known female political figures of the time.
At Ægissíðu, one frequented playing with cards and chess. In his spare time, Baldur collected stamps, documented sheep markings, and had a particular fondness for the books about the adventures of TinTin. Baldur worked in various jobs during his teenage years, such as in a horseshoe factory, road work, and in his parents’ sales booth by the highway . Baldur attended primary school in Hella and later completed high school at Menntaskolin in Laugarvatn in 1988.
He then pursued his higher education at the University of Iceland, where he graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor’s degree in political science. During his university years, Baldur was not only a dedicated student but also a leader in various extracurricular activities. He served as the editor of the regional newspaper in Suðurland, the editor of the student newspaper, the vice-chairman of Vöku, the association of pro-democracy students, and the editor of Vökublaðinu. Around this time, his interest in politics, democracy, and the media had taken root, Baldur found his chosen career.
Baldur was one of the founders of the Association of Homosexual Students at the University of Iceland in 1999 and has actively participated in the human rights movement of the LGBTQ+ community since. Baldur has been on the board of the Students’ Association since 2008.
He was chairman of the Human Rights Office of Iceland from 2002 to 2004, chairman of the Equality Committee of Háskóli Íslands, and chairman of the board of the Students’ Innovation Fund. From 2009 – 2013 Baldur served as a member of parliament for the Samfylkingin party.
Baldur is married to the actor and radio personality Felix Bergsson. Baldur and Felix have two children Álfrún Perla Baldursdóttir and Guðmundur Felixson. Álfrún Perla is a political scientist and is married to historian Árna Frey Magnússon, their two children are Eydís Ylfa and Sóley Lóa. Guðmundur Felixson is a stage artist, and his wife, Úríður Blær Jóhannsdóttir, is an actress they have a son Arnaldur Snær. The mother of Baldur’s daughter is Árelía Eydís Guðmundsdóttir, a business analyst. The mother of Felix’s son is Ásdís Ingþórsdóttir, an architect. Baldur has two siblings Ólöf, a pharmacist, and Bjarki, who is now deceased (dod 2021). Baldur and Felix place great importance on being family men and prefer to spend their time reading books with their grandchildren, taking them to the theater, or looking after their horses in the countryside.
Baldur’s main interests are foreign culture, travel, CrossFit, politics, history, playing cards, and board games.
Baldur runs the cultural tourism company Hellana in Hella with his father, sister, daughter, and son-in-law. The family is working to rebuild and preserve the environment and history of man-made preserved caves in Ægissíða in Rangárvallasýslu in cooperation with the local community and Minjastofnun. Through this work, Baldur has found a way to combine his interest in history and preserving storytelling traditions in the south of Iceland where he has roots, keeping the stories he inherited from his grandfather alive. The family business operates in the same building where Baldur’s mother ran a petrol station and roadside market for a long time, and before that his father ran an electrical workshop there.
After graduating from the University of Iceland, Baldur headed for the British Isles and completed a master’s degree in comparative politics and the politics of Western Europe at the University of Essex in 1994 and a doctorate in 1999 from the same university. Baldur has authored numerous academic articles and book chapters, as well as being editor-in-chief for books on politics and political science. In recent years, he has researched Iceland’s foreign policy in the context of the country’s small size, and how Iceland has been able to and continues to have a real influence on the course of international politics.
A book by Baldur and his colleagues entitled “Small States and Shelter Theory: Iceland’s External Affairs” was recently published. The book analyzes Iceland’s position in the international community based on Baldur’s theory of the shelter of small states.
From 1995 to 2000, Baldur was a part-time political science teacher at the University of Iceland and from 2000. In 2002 Baldur became an associate professor at the University and finally in 2006 a professor in the Department of Political Science. Baldur served as department chairperson from 2000 to 2002 and Dean of the department from 2014 to 2018.
Baldur participated in rebuilding the Institute of International Affairs at the University of Iceland, founded the Small States Research Center in 2002, and served as chairperson on the boards of both institutions until 2022. These institutions are currently thriving, as academic work is flourishing, and extensive research is conducted alongside teaching, regular seminars, and open lectures. In 2003, he founded the Small States Research Center’s Summer School, which has hosted over 800 foreign and Icelandic students. In addition, he was responsible for establishing a master’s program in international relations at the University of Iceland and a diploma program in small-state studies.
Baldur has been a visiting professor at several foreign universities. Including; William College in Massachusetts, the University of Washington in Seattle in the USA, Queen Mary University in London, Science Po in Paris, and universities in Tallinn, Vilnius, and Bergen. He has also lectured at numerous universities worldwide, including; institutions throughout Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Felix went to Scotland for postgraduate studies where he studied drama at Queen Margaret University College in Edinburgh, and graduated in 1991. Upon returning to Iceland, Felix acted at Leikfélag Akureyri, the Reykjavík City Theater, and the National Theater. Among the many plays Felix acted in, are shows like The West Side Story, Skilaboðaskjóðunni, Blóðbræðrum and Gauragangi. Since graduating, Felix has been widely involved in Icelandic theater and has performed in both large-scale productions and independent theaters. He furthered his education at the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1997-98.
Felix is one of the founders of the theater group Bandamanna, which performed worldwide from 1992 to 2000. In 1998, Felix founded the theater group Á senunni together with Kolbrúnu Halldórsdóttur, and the group’s first project was produced by Felix, Hinn fullkomni jafningi. The show premiered in Gamla Bío in 1999 and received a lot of positive attention domestically and abroad. Among the group’s other projects was the show Kvetch, which won Grímuna 2003 as the best show of the year, Ævintýrið um Augastein, Kabarett, Paris at night, and Abbababb! which won the Icelandic Grímuna as the best children’s play in 2007.
Felix became a pop star when he joined the band Greifarnir in 1986, they won Músíktilraunir the same year, and the song Útihátíð became hugely popular. Felix left the band to focus on acting. Years later Felix released the solo albums Þögul nóttin 2011 and Borgin 2014, which he worked on in collaboration with Jón Ólafsson.
From 1994 to 1996, Felix was in charge of the children’s programming “Stundin okkar” with actor Gunnar Helgason, and as well as releasing the Christmas calendar program Leitin að Völundi. They have since released numerous DVDs, CDs, cassettes, and other material for children. Felix has also lent his voice to various Icelandic productions of cartoon film characters such as Aladdin, Simbi in the lion king, Woody in Toy Story, and Manfred in Ice-Age.
For decades, Felix has published children’s media materials in addition to Stundin Okkar, such as the audio stories about Traust og Trygg, and Freyja and Frikka, video and audio material Sprota, both the book and the play Ævintýri um Augastein and the plays Christmas in Pajamas and the Baker’s Oven. He has focused on publishing quality content for children and the importance of children’s culture. In recent years, he has participated in the “Art for All” project with Gunnar Helgason, which has taken the two of them around the country visiting primary schools. The focus of this project is to highlight the importance of reading, preserving the Icelandic language, writing stories, and emphasizing diverse societies and family forms.
Since 1992 Felix has hosted numerous radio and television programs. Among the programs on television are Alla leið, Poppunktur, Fyrirgefðu, the Icelandic Music Award, the Icelandic Education Award, and Veröld sem var. He was Iceland’s presenter for Eurovision 2013-2016. Felix has also worked on Rás 2 since 2006 and hosted popular radio programs such as Fram og til baka, Ilmandi i edhúsinu, Gestir út um allt, and Bergsson og Blöndal. His collaboration with Margrétar Blöndal is nationally acclaimed.
Since 2011, Felix has been a key figure for Iceland in the Eurovision Song Competition, (a prestigious contest among European television stations). He has served as the head of the delegation for the Icelandic aggregation and he is a respected member of the Eurovision steering committee.
Felix served as the chairman of the Association of Independent Theaters from 2002-2004, in addition to being a member of the board of the Höfuðborgarstofa, the association Blátt áfram, and the Human Rights Council of Reykjavík. He was a deputy in the Reykjavík Welfare Council, the National Theater Council, and the Culture and Tourism Council. He also sat on the project boards of the Reykjavik Winter Festival and the Settlement Exhibition in Austurstræti (Reykjavik).
Felix is married to Baldur Þórhallsson, a political scientist. Baldur and Felix have two children Álfrún Perla Baldursdóttir and Guðmundur Felixson. Álfrún Perla is a political scientist and is married to historian Árna Frey Magnússon, their two children are Eydís Ylfa and Sóley Lóa. Guðmundur Felixson is a stage artist, and his wife, Þuríður Blær Jóhannsdóttir, is an actress they have a son Arnaldur Snær. The mother of Baldur’s daughter is Árelía Eydís Guðmundsdóttir, a business analyst. The mother of Felix’s son is Ásdís Ingþórsdóttir, an architect.
Felix’s parents are Bergur Felixson, former headmaster and manager of Reykjavík preschool department, and Ingibjörg Sigrún Guðmundsdóttir, a nurse. Felix’s siblings are chef Þórir Helgi, psychologist Sigurþóra Steinunn, founder of Bergið Headspace, and sociologist Guðbjörg Sigrún.
Felix’s main interests are travel, music, literature, CrossFit, acting, and the well-being of KR athletic club and a great success of the football team Liverpool.
Campaign office:
Grensásvegur 16, 105 Rvk
Félag um framboð Baldurs Þórhallssonar til forseta
postur@baldurogfelix.is
Social security number: 600324-2170
Bank account. 537-26-12123
