PM Change Today

Icelandic Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson will step down from his position today and Geir H. Haarde will formally take over.

A Government meeting will be held at noon to be broadcast live by newsstation NFS. Other Ministers stepping down are Jón Kristjánsson and Sigríður Anna Þórðardóttir. Valgerður Sverridóttir will replace Haarde as Foreign Minister, Jón Sigurðsson, former Head of the Central Bank will become Minister of Industry and Commerce, Magnús Stefánsson will become Minister of Social Affairs and Jónína Bjartmarz will become Minister for the Environment.

This means that the Progressive Party will have six Ministries instead of five previously. The Prime Ministry counts as two Ministries.