Bjarni Benediktsson (born 1970)

This article is about the current Prime Minister of Iceland who served from January to November 2017 and again since April 2024. For the Prime Minister from 1963 to 1970, see Bjarni Benediktsson (born 1908).
This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Bjarni.

Bjarni Benediktsson
Bjarni in 2023
31st Prime Minister of Iceland
Caretaker
Assumed office
9 April 2024
PresidentGuðni Th. Jóhannesson
Halla Tómasdóttir
Preceded byKatrín Jakobsdóttir
In office
11 January 2017 – 30 November 2017
PresidentGuðni Th. Jóhannesson
Preceded bySigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
Succeeded byKatrín Jakobsdóttir
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
14 October 2023 – 9 April 2024
Prime MinisterKatrín Jakobsdóttir
Preceded byÞórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir
Succeeded byÞórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir
Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs
In office
30 November 2017 – 14 October 2023
Prime MinisterKatrín Jakobsdóttir
Preceded byBenedikt Jóhannesson
Succeeded byÞórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir
In office
23 May 2013 – 11 January 2017
Prime MinisterSigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
Preceded byKatrín Júlíusdóttir
Succeeded byBenedikt Jóhannesson
Leader of the Independence Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
29 March 2009
Preceded byGeir Haarde
Personal details
Born (1970-01-26) 26 January 1970 (age 54)
Reykjavík, Iceland
Political partyIndependence Party
SpouseÞóra Margrét Baldvinsdóttir
Children4
Alma materUniversity of Iceland
University of Miami
NicknameBjarni Ben

Bjarni Benediktsson (born 26 January 1970), known colloquially as Bjarni Ben, is an Icelandic politician, who has served as the prime minister of Iceland since April 2024, and previously from January to November 2017. He has been the leader of the Icelandic Independence Party since 2009, and served as Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs from 2013 to 2017, a post he later retained under Katrín Jakobsdóttir and held until his resignation in October 2023. After serving briefly as the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2023 to 2024, Bjarni became prime minister again on 9 April 2024.

Bjarni is popularly referred to as a "teflon" politician due to managing to retain his position as one of Iceland's most powerful politicians despite his frequent involvement in political scandals.[1]

  1. ^ "Bjarni Benediktsson Sits for Last Parliamentary Session as Finance Minister". Iceland Review. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.