Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson
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Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson (JPJ) | |
|---|---|
 Jóhann in 2021 | |
| Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate | |
| Assumed office 21 December 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Kristrún Frostadóttir |
| Preceded by | Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson |
| Member of the Althing | |
| Assumed office 30 November 2024 | |
| Constituency | Reykjavík South |
| In office 25 September 2021 – 29 November 2024 | |
| Constituency | Reykjavík North |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 May 1992 Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Party | Social Democratic Alliance |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Journalist |
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]
Jóhann was born on 31 May 1992 in Reykjavík.[1] He is the son of composer Jóhann G. Jóhannsson 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]