Geir Haarde

Geir Haarde
Geir in 2005
Icelandic Ambassador to the United States
In office 23 February 2015 – 1 July 2019
President	Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson Guðni Th. Jóhannesson
Prime Minister	Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson Bjarni Benediktsson Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Preceded by	Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson
Succeeded by	Bergdís Ellertsdóttir
23rd Prime Minister of Iceland
In office 15 June 2006 – 1 February 2009
President	Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
Preceded by	Halldór Ásgrímsson
Succeeded by	Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
President of the Nordic Council
In office 1 January 1995 – 31 December 1995
Preceded by	Per Olof Håkansson
Succeeded by	Knud Enggaard
Leader of the Independence Party
In office 16 October 2005 – 29 March 2009
Preceded by	Davíð Oddsson
Succeeded by	Bjarni Benediktsson
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 27 September 2005 – 15 June 2006
Prime Minister	Halldor Asgrimsson
Preceded by	Davíð Oddsson
Succeeded by	Valgerður Sverrisdóttir
Minister of Finance
In office 16 September 1998 – 27 September 2005
Prime Minister	Davíð Oddsson Halldor Asgrimsson
Preceded by	Friðrik Sophusson
Succeeded by	Árni M. Mathiesen
Personal details
Born	Geir Hilmar Haarde (1951-04-08) 8 April 1951 (age 73) Reykjavík, Iceland
Political party	Independence Party
Spouse(s)	Patricia Angelina (Divorced) Inga Jóna Þórðardóttir
Alma mater	Brandeis University Johns Hopkins University University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Geir Hilmar Haarde (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈceːir̥ ˈhɪlmar̥ ˈhɔrtɛ]; born 8 April 1951^[1]) is an Icelandic politician, who served as prime minister of Iceland from 15 June 2006^[2] to 1 February 2009 and as president of the Nordic Council in 1995. Geir was chairman of the Icelandic Independence Party from 2005 to 2009. Since 23 February 2015 he has served as the ambassador of Iceland to the United States and several Latin American countries.^[3]

Geir initially led a coalition between his party and the Progressive Party. After the 2007 parliamentary election, in which the Independence Party increased its share of the vote, Geir renewed his term as prime minister, leading a coalition between his party and the Social Democratic Alliance. That coalition resigned in January 2009 after widespread protests following an economic collapse in October 2008. In September 2010, Geir became the first Icelandic minister to be indicted for misconduct in office, and stood trial before the Landsdómur, a special court for such cases. He was convicted on one count, but acquitted of the most serious violations.