Reykjavík

Political Rights Rating: 1

Civil Liberties Rating: 1

Freedom Rating: 1

Freedom Status: Free

Electoral Democracy: Yes

A series of major strikes took place in Iceland during the year, and public and private employers struggled to reach agreements with unions about higher wages. Although the refugee crisis confronting Europe did not heavily affect Iceland, the issue of asylum dominated public dialogue in August and September, when the public launched an initiative to increase the government’s annual quota for resettlement. Separately, the special prosecutor’s office continued pursuing cases against former bank officials accused of malfeasance related to the 2008 financial crash. The office is scheduled to be abolished in 2016, with the district prosecutor absorbing its responsibilities.

The country or territory displayed here received scores but no narrative report for this edition of Freedom in the World.