Iceland set for change of government as polls close in snap election

FILE PHOTO: Iceland's Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir attends the European Political Community Summit in Granada, Spain October 5, 2023. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Iceland's centre-left Social Democrats looked on course to win the most votes when polls closed in a snap election on Saturday, suggesting the political landscape was likely to be shaken up, although a snowstorm could still delay tallying of ballots.

The North Atlantic island nation, home to 384,000 people, has enjoyed relative political stability since 2017 and ranks among the wealthiest countries in Europe per capita, bolstered by tourism, fisheries, and cheap geothermal- and hydroelectric-powered aluminium production.