The former history professor won his second four-year term in the largely symbolic position in Saturday’s vote, the second election held by a European country after coronavirus lockdowns were lifted.
Since suffering spectacular bank failures in 2008, the volcanic North Atlantic island of 365,000 inhabitants has recovered some economic and political stability, which worked in the 52-year-old independent’s favour.
The final results showed he took 92.2 percent of the 168,821 votes cast, crushing rightwing challenger Gudmundur Franklin Jonsson.
“I am honoured and proud,” the president told AFP in Reykjavik on election night.
“This result of this election is, to me, proof of the fact that my fellow Icelanders… have approved of how I have approached this office.”
The dominant win had been predicted by opinion polls, which had shown the president winning between 90 to 94 percent.
