Comments on: Icesave – big and small dreams

By: Yasuko Gahring

Yasuko Gahring — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:52:06 +0000

Thx for information.

By: Sigrún Davíðsdóttir

Sigrún Davíðsdóttir — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:23:16 +0000

Hi David, yes – major cuts are being carried out all over the public sector but my feeling is that the Icesave debate has proved a hugely draining and distracting issue. It sure is a big deal but by far the most important thing in the wake of the banks collapsing.

Íris is right in pointing out that potential scandals aren’t getting the necessary attention. Although the three major banks were swept away – and later several smaller banks and the biggest part of building societies – old habits die hard. That’s why it’s so necessary to keep a keen focus on what’s happening to assets and companies belonging to the big players, an issue dealt with in some of my other blogs in Icelog.

Sigrún

By: Digest – March 7 2010 – The Story

Digest – March 7 2010 – The Story — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:26:11 +0000

[...] London correspondent for Rúv (the Icelandic RTÉ), Sigrún Davíðsdóttir on the IceSave referendum. [...]

By: íris erlingsdóttir

íris erlingsdóttir — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:55:26 +0000

The IceSave matter has taken the country attention away from many other pressing matters. While we have been endlessly debating IceSave, our unemployment rate has continued to climb, the number of insolvencies has continued to increase, and the number of public services has continued to decrease. Other scandals of comparable magnitude and abuse of taxpayer money—but involving only Icelanders—are being ignored by the Icelandic media.

Iceland scored some points by rejecting the IceSave agreement, and it’ll probably get a marginally better deal from the Brits and the Dutch. Unfortunately, though, the nation is probably worse-off overall financially, and has lost valuable time, energy, and focus as a result.

By: David Berry

David Berry — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:40:00 +0000

It is absolutely fascinating to see the debates taking place in Iceland regarding the collapse of the Icelandic banks and the resultant financial problems. I am very interested to see to what extent the state and civil society are continuing to function in what must be a highly destabilising and delegitimised political climate. For example, how is the state responding to the crisis in fiscal terms? Is it cutting fiscal policy dramatically or is there a sense of stasis bought on by the sheer intensity of the crisis?

What are the implications for the civil society institutions such as universities and schools, hospitals and so forth. Of course you must know that here in the UK there is the beginning of a severe cut in public financing, the universities in particular are under a lot of very intense pressure due to large funding cuts. This will create a very difficult political climate, but how is this replicated and to what extent is Iceland able to function to try to deal with these problems? Or is the Icesave issue draining the political classes, distracting them from dealing with other substantive issues?

David