Iceland has become the first European country in which women win a majority of seats in parliament, according to the final results of parliamentary elections announced on Sunday, showing Prime Minister Catherine Jakobsteder slipping away in the government coalition that won the most votes.
Women will occupy 33 of the 63 seats in the Icelandic parliament, or 52.3%, according to projections based on the final results of Saturday's poll in the country of 370,000 people.
World Bank data show that no country in Europe has crossed the symbolic 50% threshold, with Sweden occupying the first place so far with 47% of women parliamentarians.
If several parties reserve the right to name a minimum proportion of women among their candidates, there is no law imposing a specific quota for women in legislative elections in Iceland.
Iceland has long been a pioneer in women's rights issues, and for 12 years in a row has been at the top of the World Economic Forum's rankings in terms of gender equality.
But this precedent hides - paradoxically - the victim of a woman in this election, Prime Minister Catherine Jacobstoder, whose left-wing environmental party lost 3 seats, by obtaining 12.6% of the votes, led by its two current right-wing allies, the Progress Party, which won more than 17% of the vote. The Istiqlal Party, which topped the elections results by obtaining 24% of the votes.