The Socialist List in Northwest

„Greed, rampant consumption, and disrespect for Mother Earth are well on their way to eradicating all life on Earth,“ says Helga Thorberg, who leads the Socialist list in the Northwest constituency. „It is the responsibility of the authorities to take action to curb the destruction. It is, however, our responsibility to choose those who wield power. Therefore, we need authorities who are ready to implement radical changes, authorities who serve the public, not the plutocracy. By rallying behind the policy of the Socialist Party, we choose an economic system based on viable values for the many – not the special interests of a few. Radical action is needed – I intend to contribute to that.“

„It is our responsibility to ensure that our children and grandchildren have a viable future. Radical action must be taken to prevent the tragic consequences of the capitalist way of life that has been brought upon the world and appears in our news every day,“ says Helga. „I have time, burning passion, and a will to fight.“

The list is compiled by a randomly selected group among the party members who have worked hard to reflect the will of the party's grassroots as clearly as possible, and we believe this yields much better results than traditional methods of list arrangement, which often give a distorted picture.

„Opportunities in our society should be equal according to the letter of the law, but in reality, they are not at all,“ says Árni Múli Jónasson, who is in second place on the list. „Far too many, large groups of people, have to endure various and significant discrimination and have very limited opportunities in most areas. This discrimination and the inequality it leads to are then accompanied by disrespect and a miserable and humiliating powerlessness for people who have done nothing wrong other than being disabled or poor or of foreign origin or simply for some reason not in favor with those who hold power by virtue of political power and/or wealth. We simply must change this and always prioritize equal opportunities for all, human rights, and the interests of the general public, and turn away from the path of unequal distribution and special interest protection, with all the corruption it thrives on and breeds.“

„In the other Nordic countries, there is a societal model that ensures people the best living conditions known on Earth, and that is largely thanks to socialism,“ says Sigurður Jón Hreinsson, who is in third place. „Our society has in recent years shifted to the right from this Nordic model, and I want to reverse that trend.“

„Einstein said that the world is a dangerous place,“ says Aldís Schram, who is in fourth place, „not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. This is humanity's problem in a nutshell. Violence, discrimination, and poverty thrive as long as we who see, hear, and perceive, do nothing. The solution is empathy in action. That is why I am running for the Socialist Party, the advocate for the public. To serve those who have no voice.“

„Labor market issues and the concerns of those who are struggling in society are my main issues. It is a privilege to work helping people who are facing difficulties,“ says Bergvin Eyþórsson, who is in fifth place. „Employers are in a very dominant position compared to employees, and we must make the labor market more humane.“

Alongside the publication of the list, the Socialist Party presents an offer to voters in the Northwest constituency. See the offer here:Ensure residency and equal living standards

[Image: image]

In first place is Helga Thorberg, an educated actress and horticulturalist. She has worked in theater as an author and program maker for many years, and the women's struggle and women's politics have also been close to her heart. She joined the Women's Candidacy (Kvennaframboðið) and the Women's List (Kvennalistinn) but had not been active in politics until she joined the Socialist Party 2 years ago. In addition to many other jobs, Helga has run her own flower shop in the city center, a restaurant in Spain, and worked as a florist in Norway. She has actively participated in community work over the years, the Interest Group for Improved Traffic Culture (Áhugahópur um bætta umferðarmenningu), Hlaðvarpann, a women-owned social and cultural center, Actresses 50 Plus (Leiklistarkonur 50 plús), and Rjúkanda, an organization for the protection of environment, nature, and cultural heritage in Árneshreppur (Rjúkanda, samtök um verndun umhverfis, náttúru og menningarminja í Árneshreppi).

In second place is Árni Múli Jónasson, who grew up in Reykholtsdalur in Borgarfjörður and has strong ties to that good and beautiful countryside, not least because Arnheiður Helgadóttir, his wife, also grew up in Reykholtsdalur. They also lived with their four children in Akranes for about nine years, and they all have a great fondness for Skaginn after that and all the good memories associated with it. Árni is a human rights lawyer and works as the executive director of the National Association Þroskahjálp (Landssamtökin Þroskahjálp). He has extensive experience as a manager for state and municipalities and has worked on human rights issues for Amnesty International, the Red Cross, and Þroskahjálp.

In third place is Sigurður Jón Hreinsson, a mechanical designer and municipal councilor. Sigurður grew up in Arnarfjörður but studied in Neskaupstaður and Ísafjörður. He now lives in Ísafjörður with his wife and three children. Sigurður has, among other things, worked in various jobs related to the fishing industry, e.g., fish processing and baiting, and was a fisherman for several years, but for the past two decades, he has worked on the construction and design of equipment for the fishing industry. Sigurður has been involved in various associations over the years. He served on the board of the Association of Ironworkers in Ísafjörður (Félag járniðnaðarmanna á Ísafirði) and has been chairman or on the board of the volleyball division of Vestra (blakdeild Vestra) almost continuously since 2008. Sigurður has long been interested in politics, has been on a list in the last four municipal elections in Ísafjarðarbær and has been a municipal councilor since 2014 for the Í-list.

In fourth place is Aldís Schram, a lawyer, who for the past fourteen years has, among other things, taught Icelandic to those of foreign origin and dabbled in writing, legal and text composition in her spare time, while also providing (free) legal advice to victims of sexual offenses.

In fifth place is Bergvin Eyþórsson, vice-chairman and office manager at the Westfjords Workers' Union (Verkalýðsfélag Vestfirðinga). Bergvin is from Ísafjörður and a devoted family man, residing in Hnífsdalur. He has studied education and business administration at the University of Akureyri and currently works on labor market issues at the Westfjords Workers' Union. Previously, Bergvin mainly worked in seafaring and retail management.

In sixth place is Guðni Hannesson, photographer, who works at the National Land Survey of Iceland (Landmælingar Íslands). Guðni is a father of three children and a grandfather of three. He was born and raised in Akranes and lives there with his wife. Guðni is a socialist, and therefore the party's emphasis appeals to him, an emphasis that can be implemented with greater equality.

In seventh place is Ágústa Anna Ómarsdóttir, a pharmacy technician and nursing assistant student. Ágústa works caring for elderly citizens for Stykkishólmsbær. She grew up in Breiðholt during its early years, attending Fellaskóli when it was being established. Ágústa has always been a fighter, battling injustice and born an egalitarian. That is why she says she is in the Socialist Party, to work towards a future where everyone is equal, where there is a humane environment for all. Not just some.

The Socialist Party's List in the Northwest constituency:

Helga Thorberg, actress and horticulturalist
Árni Múli Jónasson, human rights lawyer and executive director of Þroskahjálp
Sigurður Jón Hreinsson, mechanical engineer and municipal councilor
Aldís Schram, lawyer and teacher
Bergvin Eyþórsson, service representative and vice-chairman of the Westfjords Workers' Union
Guðni Hannesson, photographer
Ágústa Anna Ómarsdóttir, pharmacy technician
Sigurbjörg Magnúsdottir, retiree
Jónas Þorvaldsson, sailor
Valdimar Anderssen Arnþórsson, stay-at-home father
Guðrún Bergmann Leifsdóttir, artist
Magnús A. Sigurðsson, heritage manager of West Iceland
Dröfn Guðmundsdóttir, teacher
Indriði Aðalsteinsson, farmer
Fjóla Heiðdal Steinarsdóttir, university student
Finnur Torfi Hjörleifsson, lawyer, retiree