NEWS IN BRIEF

01 Reykjanes Quakes

The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management declared an “uncertainty phase” in mid-May due to ongoing earthquakes on the Reykjanes peninsula, the site of last year’s Fagradalsfjall volcanic eruption. Several earthquakes over M3 were detected in the region, including one of magnitude 4.7. Uplift (land rise) and expansion was also measured in the area, leading experts to surmise that magma was likely collecting below the surface.

As of the time of writing, it is much too early to tell whether the activity on Reykjanes could end in an eruption. Many experts believe the Fagradalsfjall eruption marked the beginning of a more volcanically active period on the peninsula. Volcanologist Þorvaldur Þórðarson has even stated there is a 50% chance of another eruption on Reykjanes this year. 02 Municipal Elections

Iceland held municipal elections countrywide on May 14, 2022. The results were historic, particularly for two parties: the Progressive Party, who doubled its following nationwide compared to the 2018 election, and the Independence Party, who saw their worst-ever election results in Reykjavík. Despite significant losses across the country, the Independence Party remains the party with the most local councillors nationwide, or 110.

Reykjavík’s ruling coalition lost their majority in the election, which resulted in seat losses for the Social-Democratic Alliance, the Reform Party, and the Independence Party, but more seats won by the Pirate and Socialist Parties. As elsewhere in the country, the Progressive Party saw great success in Reykjavík, going from zero seats on the City Council to four. Voter turnout decreased in all of the country’s largest municipalities except Hafnarfjörður, but this could be due to new election laws, which increased the number of registered voters by extending voting rights to a larger number of foreign residents.

Coalition talks between councillors have begun. 03 Workers Wanted

A new forecast by Isavia projects that 5.7 million passengers will pass through Keflavík Airport in 2022. According to the Director of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association Jóhannes Þór Skúlason, the tourism industry must hire between 7,000-9,000 foreign workers to meet demand. Jóhannes is happy to see improved prospects for the industry, but estimates that around 9,000 workers have left Iceland’s tourism industry since 2019, half of them Icelandic and the other half foreign citizens. While some staff have returned, new hires account for 70-80% of staff today.

The restaurant sector, in particular, faces staffing shortages. Visitors to Iceland may also experience difficulty securing rental cars: as dealerships have not imported enough cars to meet growing tourist demand, some rental companies have begun importing their own.