Gunnar Thoroddsen
 Gunnar Thoroddsen    (lawyer, politician) | ||||||||||||
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| Born | 29 December 1910 Reykjavík, Iceland | |||||||||||
| Died | 25 September 1983 (Age 72) Reykjavík, Iceland | |||||||||||
| Nationality | Icelandic | |||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Iceland | |||||||||||
| Party | Independence Party (Iceland) | |||||||||||
Single Bilderberger, later Prime Minister of Iceland.
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Gunnar Thoroddsen was an Icelandic lawyer and politician. He was deputy leader of the Independence Party from 1961-1965 and 1974-1981 and Prime Minister of Iceland for the party from 1980 to 1983. Previously, he had been mayor of Reykjavík (1947-1959), Minister of Finance (1959-1965) and Supreme Court justice (1970).[1][2] Gunnar ran for President of Iceland in the 1968 presidential election, but lost.
He attended the 1966 Bilderberg conference.
Career
Between 1936-1940 Gunnar practiced law in Reykjavík, together with work for the Independence Party. Gunnar was a professor at the University of Iceland from 1940 to 1950, but was released from teaching duties in 1947, the same year he was elected mayor of Reykjavík, which he was until 1959. He was Minister of Finance from 1959 to 1965 and Iceland's ambassador to Denmark from 1965 to 1969.
He sat on the Central Committee of the Independence Party 1948 – 1965 and again from 1971. He was deputy leader of the party 1961-1965 and again 1974-1981. Then he was parliamentary group leader between 1973-1979.
Gunnar ran for President of Iceland in the 1968 presidential election, but lost to Kristján Eldjárn.[3]
He was Supreme Court justice from 1. January to 16. September 1970. He was appointed professor at the University of Iceland in 1971 and taught mainly constitutional law. He was appointed Minister of Industry and Social Affairs on the 28th. August 1974 and held that post until 1. September 1978. He was appointed prime minister on the 8th. February 1980 but received little support for that government formation from his party, which formed itself mostly in opposition led by Geir Hallgrímsson, who was then chairman.[4]
Gunnar was diagnosed with leukemia towards the end of 1982. He managed to keep the disease a secret from the people and many of his closest supporters for an incredibly long time. There was strong pressure on Gunnar to run in the 1983 parliamentary election. But he announced just before the end of the term in March 1983 that he would not stand for re-election and retire from politics at the end of his government's term at the close of the election.
Gunnar resigned as prime minister at the change of government at the end of May 1983, when the government of the Independence Party and the Progress Party led by Steingrímur Hermannsson took power. Gunnar had become very marked by his illness this spring, and so his illness began to be questioned among the public. His health began to decline rapidly during the summer, and he reached the final stages of his illness. He died on Sunday 25th. September 1983.
Event Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilderberg/1966 | 25 March 1966 | 27 March 1966 | Germany Wiesbaden Hotel Nassauer Hof | Top of the agenda of the 15th Bilderberg in Wiesbaden, Germany, was the restructuring of NATO. Since this discussion was held, all permanent holders of the position of NATO Secretary General have attended at least one Bilderberg conference prior to their appointment. |
References
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20100325200911/http://www.fjarmalaraduneyti.is/radherra/fyrri_radherrar
- ↑ https://www.althingi.is/altext/cv/is/?nfaerslunr=212
- ↑ http://www.electoralgeography.com/new/en/countries/i/iceland/iceland-presidential-election-1968.html
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070810151016/http://www.haestirettur.is/control/index?pid=360&nr=23
