At the end of the summer session

It has certainly been eventful and informative for newcomers to the Alþingi to participate in the recent summer assembly. It is indeed a great honour and a significant responsibility to sit in the Parliament of Iceland as an elected representative. Newcomers need to absorb a lot of information in a short time, both regarding the workings of the parliament and not least to familiarize themselves with the issues at hand. Many things have come as a surprise and have turned out differently than one might expect.

Like many, I have primarily followed the work of the Alþingi through media coverage and news reports, but also by reading articles and familiarising myself with issues on the parliament’s website. I have been surprised by how much of the work of parliament members takes place outside the parliamentary chamber, particularly in committees. Work in the parliament's committees is extremely comprehensive, complex, and demanding. The work is meticulously planned, which is necessary due to the tasks, reports, and not least the number of visitors that the committees host.

Newcomers to the Alþingi receive exceptionally warm welcomes from the parliament staff who are both willing and prepared to provide us with assistance in whatever we may need. There is indeed a suitable person for every role. Those of us who have had the honour to sit on the parliamentary committee have thoroughly studied the parliamentary rules, and it will be quite the task to try to become proficient in all that a sitting president needs to understand. It is therefore invaluable to receive guidance and knowledge from the wonderful people who support us vice presidents while we are trying to find our footing.

It has been enjoyable and enlightening to meet older and more experienced parliamentarians, both among the representatives of the majority and minority. Many experienced combatants are there who possess great knowledge. There is much to learn from them, both good practices and worse ones. A fairly good consensus seems to prevail within the parliament, although there are intense discussions about important matters where political fault lines exist. We are unlikely to avoid such conflicts, but my hope is that at the autumn assembly everyone will arrive prepared and ready to address the urgent interests of the people in the country, our voters who are eagerly awaiting solutions. I hope that everything goes well and that broad consensus will be formed.

Þorsteinn Sæmundsson