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Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
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==Presidency (1980–1996)== Vigdís ran in the [[1980 Icelandic presidential election|1980 presidential election]].<ref name="Topping">{{Cite news |last=Topping |first=Alexandra |date=2017-12-07 |title=There's proof: electing women radically improves life for mothers and families |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/06/iceland-women-government-better-for-mothers-america-lessons |access-date=2023-10-07 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> During her campaign, her anti-military position and her opposition to a United States presence in Iceland led to allegations that she was sympathetic to communism.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title="What now happens in the world is utterly awful," Vigdís Finnbogadóttir |url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2016/10/what-now-happens-world-utterly-awful-vigdis-finnbogadottir |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=The Independent Barents Observer |date=29 October 2016 |language=en}}</ref> Vigdís ran for president to prove that women were able to lead political campaigns, and she did not expect to win.<ref name="Topping" /> Despite this, Vigdís won the election on 29 June 1980.<ref name="icelandmag" /> The vote was split among four candidates, and she prevailed with 33.6% of the vote.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=42}} Vigdís was the first woman to ever be democratically elected as a [[head of state]] in any country, taking office on 1 August 1980 as the fourth president of Iceland.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=39}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/politics_and_society/2016/11/08/history_the_world_s_first_democratically_elected_fe/|title=History: The world's first democratically elected female president|website=Iceland Monitor|date=November 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="France24" /> The number of women in the [[Althing]] increased significantly after her election.<ref name="Topping" /> Vigdís was re-elected without opposition in the [[1984 Icelandic presidential election|1984 presidential election]].<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=36}} She oversaw the [[Reykjavík Summit]] on 11–12 October 1986 between American president [[Ronald Reagan]] and Soviet president [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], which is credited with improving relations between the countries and bringing the [[Cold War]] closer to an end.<ref name=":5" /> In the [[1988 Icelandic presidential election|1988 presidential election]], Vigdís became the first incumbent president of Iceland to face a challenger in the presidential election. The challenger fared poorly, and Vigdís won with 92.7% of the vote.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=42}} She was again re-elected without opposition in 1992.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=36}} Though the Icelandic presidency is mostly ceremonial, Vigdís became an active president, using the role to represent the nation and to inform the national identity through cultural initiatives.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=42}} Vigdís is an [[environmentalist]], and used her presidency as a platform to advocate for environmental issues. She led a campaign for [[reforestation]] in Iceland, and called for the prevention of [[topsoil loss]].<ref name="icelandmag" /> Vigdís is also a [[pacifist]],<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=42}} and she describes herself as a "peace person".<ref name=":5" /> She was also an advocate for [[gay rights]] as president.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=43}} The decision Vigdís considered "the most difficult episode" of her career took place in 1994 during the debate on joining the [[European Economic Area]]. A strong opposition existed against [[European integration]] in Iceland, but Vigdís supported the [[European Union]] and [[European integration]], and she refused to use her presidential [[veto]] to block Iceland's association with the European Economic Area.<ref name="France24" /> Vigdís decided not to run for a fifth term as president, and her tenure ended in August 1996.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=42}} She served for 16 years. To date, she is the longest-serving female elected head of state in recorded history.<ref name="Inga" />{{Rp|page=43}}[[File:President Ronald Reagan walks with President Vigdis Finnbogadottir of Iceland.jpg|thumb|During the [[Reykjavík Summit]], President [[Ronald Reagan]] walks with Vigdis at [[Bessastaðir]]]]
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