Valgerður Sverrisdóttir
Valgerður Sverrisdóttir in 2004
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
15 June 2006 – 24 May 2007
Prime MinisterGeir Haarde
Preceded byGeir Haarde
Succeeded byIngibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir
Minister of Industry and Commerce
In office
28 May 1999 – 15 June 2006
Prime MinisterDavíð Oddsson
Halldór Ásgrímsson
Preceded byFinnur Ingólfsson
Succeeded byJón Sigurðsson
Personal details
Born (1950-03-23) 23 March 1950
Lómatjörn, Grýtubakkahreppur, Iceland
Political partyProgressive Party
SpouseArvid Kro
ChildrenThree daughters (born 1978, 1982, 1989)

Valgerður Sverrisdóttir (born 23 March 1950) is an Icelandic politician. She was a member of the Althing (Iceland's parliament) for the Progressive Party for the Northeast constituency starting in 1987 and was Chairman of the Progressive Party parliamentary group from 1995 to 1999, Minister of Industry and Commerce from 1999 to 2006, and Minister for Nordic Cooperation from 2004 to 2005.[1] She was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 15 June 2006 to 24 May 2007.[2] She has been a member of the Progressive Party's central committee since 1983.

Controversy

In 2006, Árni Finnsson, chairman of the Iceland Nature Conservation Association, accused Valgerður Sverrisdóttir of corruption for failing to reveal details of a report showing that the area on which the Kárahnjúkavirkjun dam was being built had active faults in the earth, while she was Minister of Industry and Commerce.

Geophysicist Grímur Björnsson revealed on the television news programme Kastljós that a report he had prepared, criticizing the placement of the Kárahnjúkar dam, had been stamped as confidential by his superior at the time. Minister of Industry Valgerður Sverrisdóttir had subsequently failed to reveal the details of the report to parliament, as she was obliged to do.

Valgerður Sverrisdóttir rejected all accusations, claiming the controversy was a last-ditch effort on behalf of the opposition to delay the flooding of the Hálslón Reservoir. The flooding of the reservoir, which was set to take place at the end of September of the same year, subsequently submerged a large section of the Icelandic highlands.[3]

References

Media related to Valgerður Sverrisdóttir at Wikimedia Commons

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