Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir – Prime Minister of Iceland
“The first government collapse of the global economic crisis is about to yield the world’s first openly-gay leader,” wrote The Independent in 2009, as though there was some connection between Iceland’s financial meltdown and the sexuality of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, their newly appointed Prime Minister. Admittedly, the implosion of the banks did precipitate the fall of the ruling coalition which in turn saw her rise to power, but was Iceland explicitly seeking gay leadership in the wake of capitalism’s reckless and arguably heterosexual insistence on growth?
The people of Iceland seem largely indifferent to Sigurðardóttir’s sexual proclivity, and as far as this collection is concerned, of more interest is her former career as a flight attendant. In the entry on Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of The Netherlands, it was observed that constitutional monarchs are “essentially hereditary air stewards”. Yet again, a line is drawn between air stewardship and the modern head of state that demands closer examination.
As more and more heads of state join World Leaders in Their Underpants, we hope the inclusion of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir will encourage greater frankness among global power-holders, some of whom inevitably conceal their sexual preferences. When browsing the collection, please take a few moments to locate your nearest head of state. In some cases, your nearest leader may be behind you.
