Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Jóhann Páll.
Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson
(JPJ)
Jóhann in 2021
Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate
Incumbent
Assumed office
21 December 2024
Prime MinisterKristrún Frostadóttir
Preceded byGuðlaugur Þór Þórðarson
Member of the Althing
Incumbent
Assumed office
30 November 2024
ConstituencyReykjavík South
In office
25 September 2021 – 29 November 2024
ConstituencyReykjavík North
Personal details
Born (1992-05-31) 31 May 1992 (age 32)
Reykjavík, Iceland
Political partySocial Democratic Alliance
Alma mater
ProfessionJournalist

Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson (born 31 May 1992) is an Icelandic politician, government minister and member of the Althing.[1] A member of the Social Democratic Alliance, he has represented Reykjavík South since November 2024.[2] He previously represented Reykjavík North from September 2021 to November 2024.[2] He has been Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate since December 2024.[3]

Early life

Jóhann was born on 31 May 1992 in Reykjavík.[1] He is the son of composer Jóhann G. Jóhannsson [is] and violinist Bryndís Pálsdóttir.[1][4] He grew up in the Laugarás neighbourhood of Reykjavík.[4] He wanted to be a musician and studied the piano for ten years but had difficulty reading music.[4] At the age of 12 he wrote a song titled Hvar er Guðmundur? which became a hit on the Internet and on radio.[4] He performed at concerts, singing his own songs and playing the guitar.[4] He was religious as a child but this stopped after he read the entire Bible.[4]

Jóhann graduated from Reykjavík High School (MR) in 2012.[1] He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy, minoring in law, from the University of Iceland (HÍ) in 2015.[1] He has Master of Science degrees in history from the University of Edinburgh (2017) and in European political economy from the London School of Economics (2020).[1]

Career

Jóhann was a journalist at the DV (2012-2015) but resigned in January 2015 citing editorial interference by new owner Björn Ingi Hrafnsson who had links to the right wing Progressive Party.[1][5][6] He worked for Stundin, which had been founded by former journalists from DV, from 2015 to 2019.[1] He has won awards for his journalistic work including on Lekamálið (2014), sex offenders (2017) and Bjarni Benediktsson's involvement in the collapsed Glitnir bank (2018).[4][7][8]

Jóhann quit journalism after returning to Iceland from studying in the UK and entered politics, joining the Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) in 2020.[4][8] He worked as an advisor to the party's parliamentary group.[9] He was elected to the Althing at the 2021 parliamentary election.[10] He was re-elected at the 2024 parliamentary election.[11][12] Following the election Samfylkingin formed a coalition government with Viðreisn and the People's Party.[13][14] Jóhann was appointed Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate by Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir on 21 December 2024.[15][16]

Personal life

Jóhann is married to chemist Anna Bergljót Gunnarsdóttir.[1] Their daughter was born in January 2023.[17][18]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson
Election Constituency Party Votes Result
2021 parliamentary[19] Reykjavík North Social Democratic Alliance 3,323.00 Elected
2024 parliamentary[20] Reykjavík South Social Democratic Alliance 8,504.67 Elected

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Þingmenn: Alþingismannatal - Æviágrip þingmanna frá 1845 - Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson" (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland: Althing. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Þingmenn: Alþingismannatal - Æviágrip þingmanna frá 1845 - Þingseta - Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson - þingsetutímabil og embætti" (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland: Althing. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Current government - Cabinet of Kristrún Frostadóttir". Reykjavík, Iceland: Government of Iceland. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Svava Jónsdóttir (19 December 2020). "Barnastjarna og verðlaunablaðamaður hendir sér í pólitík: „Ég hef gaman af hasar"". Mannlif (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Jóhann Páll hættur á DV: „Sá hlær best sem á spilltustu vinina"". Kjarninn (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland. 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  6. ^ Samúel Karl Ólason (5 January 2015). "Jóhann Páll hættur á DV". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Fleiri blaðamenn af DV til Stundarinnar". Ríkisútvarpið (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland: RÚV. 8 January 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Stefnumót með frambjóðanda - Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson" (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland: Social Democratic Alliance. 4 May 2021. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  9. ^ Sunna Valgerðardóttir (15 December 2020). "Kristrún og Jóhann Páll vilja á þing fyrir Samfylkingu". RÚV (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  10. ^ Reynir Traustason (27 September 2021). "Barnastjarnan lifnaði við að kveldi". Mannlif (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Kosningar: Kjörborðið - Fólkið - Allir Þingmenn". RÚV (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  12. ^ "Úrslit Alþingiskosninga í nóvember 2024: Kjördæmi og þingmenn - Suður". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland. Archived from the original on 1 December 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  13. ^ "Iceland presents new government with Social Democratic leader Frostadottir as PM". Deccan Herald. Bangalore, India. Reuters. 21 December 2024. Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Þetta eru ráðherrar ríkisstjórnarinnar". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland. 21 December 2024. Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  15. ^ Margrét Adamsdóttir (21 December 2024). "We have a new government: summary of the press conference". RÚV. Reykjavík, Iceland. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  16. ^ Kolbeinn Tumi Daðason (21 December 2024). "Þetta eru ráðherrar nýrrar ríkisstjórnar". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  17. ^ Elma Rut Valtýsdóttir (19 January 2023). "Jóhann Páll og Anna Bergljót eignuðust stúlku". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Jóhann Páll og Anna eignuðust dóttur". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Útreikningur á úthlutun þingsæta við alþingiskosningar 25. september 2021" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland: National Electoral Commission of Iceland. 30 September 2021. p. 20. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Kosningaskýrsla Landskjörstjórnar: Útreikningur á úthlutun þingsæta við alþingiskosningar 30. nóvember 2024" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland: National Electoral Commission of Iceland. 10 December 2024. p. 35. Retrieved 10 December 2024.