Bjarni Benediktsson (born 1970)

Bjarni Benediktsson
Bjarni in 2023
Prime Minister of Iceland
In office 9 April 2024 – 21 December 2024
President	Guðni Th. Jóhannesson Halla Tómasdóttir
Preceded by	Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Succeeded by	Kristrún Frostadóttir
In office 11 January 2017 – 30 November 2017
President	Guðni Th. Jóhannesson
Preceded by	Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
Succeeded by	Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office 14 October 2023 – 9 April 2024
Prime Minister	Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Preceded by	Þórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir
Succeeded by	Þórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir
Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs
In office 30 November 2017 – 14 October 2023
Prime Minister	Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Preceded by	Benedikt Jóhannesson
Succeeded by	Þórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir
In office 23 May 2013 – 11 January 2017
Prime Minister	Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
Preceded by	Katrín Júlíusdóttir
Succeeded by	Benedikt Jóhannesson
Leader of the Independence Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 March 2009
Preceded by	Geir Haarde
Member of the Althing
In office 10 May 2003 – 6 January 2025
Constituency	Southwest
Personal details
Born	(1970-01-26) 26 January 1970 (age 54) Reykjavík, Iceland
Political party	Independence
Spouse	Þóra Margrét Baldvinsdóttir
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Iceland University of Miami
Nickname	Bjarni Ben

Bjarni Benediktsson (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈpja(r)tnɪ ˈpɛːnɛtɪxtsˌsɔːn]; born 26 January 1970), known colloquially as Bjarni Ben, is an Icelandic former politician who served as the prime minister of Iceland from January to November 2017 and again from April to December 2024. He has been the leader of the Icelandic Independence Party since 2009, and served as the 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]