Iceland has a new Prime Minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir, the first woman and lesbian to hold the position. Ms. Sigurdardottir was named Prime Minister by the country’s coalition government. After the naming of cabinet positions, the head of state, President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, officially appointed them later that day.

Ms. Sigurdardottir has been involved in Icelandic politics since 1978 and held her first ministerial position - social affairs - in 1987. She held the position prior to the collapse of the previous government under then Prime Minister Geir Haarde. The new government is a coalition of centre-left parties headed by the Social-Democratic Alliance, a group of parties which came together to oppose the centre-right coalition headed by Mr. Haarde’s Independence Party.

Ms. Sigurdardottir’s appointment and sexuality, she is an open lesbian and married her partner, Jonina Ledsdottir in 2002, has been headline news around the world. She will be the first lesbian to lead a nation in modern times and the second open gay, Per-Kristian Foss, a Norwegian politician who briefly served as his country’s prime minister in 2002 was the first.

Iceland is a much more progressive nation than most when it comes to its position on gay and lesbians. The majority of the voting population is unconcerned  with their politicians sexuality. This has been illustrated by Prime Minister Sigurdardottir’s incredibly high approval rating even as the Icelandic markets and government toppled. One poll put Ms. Sigurdardottir at a 78% approval rating just weeks ago.

This move has been hailed by many in the Lesbian and Gay Rights Movement as a great step forward in their battle for recognition in the political arena. This change of government is more than just a step forward it is a move away from the right leaning policies of the previous government. The new government is a coalition of Sigurdardottir’s Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Green movement, which will hold office until the next elections on April 25. The government’s first intended move is to replace the entire board of the Icelandic National Bank. The next months will promise a more left leaning approach to governance in Iceland which may sate the protesting which has plagued much of the country up to the new governments appointment.

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