Emphasis on Protocol 35 raises questions

The parliamentary party chairman of the Independence Party says it is surprising that the government emphasizes the legalization of Protocol 35 when only a week is in the estimated parliamentary term.

Another debate on the bill by Thorgerd Katrín Gunnarsdóttir Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding the introduction of Protocol 35 with the European Economic Area Agreement in Icelandic law is on the agenda of the parliament today.

The bill relates to the addition of provisions on the European Economic Area Act, which states that if a clear and unconditional legislative provision that Iceland implements under the EEA Agreement is incompatible with other general legal provisions of Icelandic law, the aforementioned provisions shall be exceeded.

Eyjólfur Ármannsson, the Minister of Info, has previously said that he considers the implementation of Protocol 35 to be a violation of the Constitution.

The party previously submitted the case

« This government’s priorities raises very natural questions. Here, a huge issue is still in the process of being processed and then this issue should be put on a agenda that is not urgent in any context, » says Hildur Sverrisdóttir, parliamentary party chairman of the Independence Party, in a conversation with mbl.is.

A bill on Protocol 35 was one of the issues that was on the agenda of the Independence Party in the government that exploded at the end of last year. The bill was tabled in 2023 but was eventually postponed within the Foreign Affairs Committee. The then Secretary of State had planned to submit the bill again in the last parliamentary parliament.

« This issue was worked out by Bjarni Benediksson and then put in a channel with Thordis Kolbrún, former Foreign Minister. would be within her parliamentary party regarding the bill.

Pentecostal Assembly meetings did not surprise

According to the parliamentary work plan, it is planned that parliamentary work will be postponed and the parliamentary world will be on a summer vacation on Friday. Obviously, the final meters need to be worked on if that plan is to be met.

Hildur says the government is still presenting a big issue in the parliament, which is demanding a lot of debate now in the last days of parliament.

Ahead is the Pentecost weekend and according to the agenda of the Assembly, neither traditional parliamentary meetings nor committee meetings will be on the agenda this weekend.

« It has not yet been important to us parliamentary party chairmen.