Editing Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (section)

===Crisis of 2008 statements===
In the aftermath of the [[2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis]], Ólafur criticized other countries for lack of help to Iceland.

In early November, the President attended a traditional informal lunch with all ambassadors to Iceland, held by the senior Danish ambassador. According to a confidential memo from the Norwegian embassy, quoted in the Norwegian newspaper [[Klassekampen]], the President said: "The North Atlantic is important to Scandinavia, the US and Britain. This is a fact these countries now seem to ignore. Then, Iceland should rather get some new friends". He praised Norway and the Faroe Islands for their swift decision to grant major loans to Iceland. He also said Iceland should rather invite Russia to use the [[Keflavík Air Base]]. According to the memo, an "amazed and smiling" Russian ambassador said Russia did not have any need for this. Ólafur also criticised the [[International Monetary Fund]] for the system's flaws and for its mistreatment of Iceland. He said it was part of Icelandic political mentality to "fight alone" rather than being threatened into submission, and that he expected Iceland to overcome the crisis sooner than the US and Britain by showing initiative and international activity in new fields. The memo underlined that the President of Iceland has no political power and that no other government official had presented similar points of view "to the same degree".<ref>Alf Skjeseth: [http://klassekampen.no/55221/article/item/null Inviterer Russland] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104171235/http://klassekampen.no/55221/article/item/null |date=4 January 2009 }}, [[Klassekampen]], 12 November 2008 (in Norwegian)</ref><ref>[http://politiken.dk/newsinenglish/article596825.ece Iceland: Denmark has turned its back], [[Politiken]], 12 November 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.barentsobserver.com/russia-invited-to-icelands-airbase.4525408.html Russia invited to Iceland's airbase] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207042608/http://www.barentsobserver.com/russia-invited-to-icelands-airbase.4525408.html |date=7 February 2009 }}, barentsobserver.com, 12 November 2008</ref> The Danish ambassador to Iceland, Lasse Reimann, confirmed to the daily ''[[Politiken]]'' that the lunch had taken place, but declined to discuss on the President's comments.<ref>Michael Bech: [http://politiken.dk/udland/article597035.ece Dansk ambassadør følte islandsk vrede], [[Politiken]], 12 November 2008 (in Danish)</ref>

On 5 January 2010, the President of Iceland vetoed a measure of the Icelandic government to repay the governments of Britain and the Netherlands for their bailouts of customers of private Icelandic banks (no such bailout was required under Icelandic law, though on 26 May 2010 the [[EFTA]] found it was required by the terms of Iceland's membership of the [[European Economic Area|EEA]]).<ref>Michael Bech: [http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2010/05/27/efta-iceland-must-pay-icesave/ EFTA: Iceland must pay Icesave] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315212524/http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2010/05/27/efta-iceland-must-pay-icesave/ |date=15 March 2011 }}, IceNews, 27 May 2010</ref> The President's veto was upheld by the people of Iceland when they voted upon the measure in March 2010. This dispute is known as [[Icesave dispute]].

On 20 February 2011, the President of Iceland again vetoed an effort by the Icelandic government to repay (in installments over a period of years) the governments of Britain and the Netherlands. In a referendum held on 9 April 2011, Icelanders rejected for a second time a proposal to pay $5&nbsp;billion to Britain and the Netherlands.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2011/04/10/business/business-us-iceland-referendum.html Icelanders Again Reject Icesave Debt Deal], [[www.nytimes.com]], 10 April 2011</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iceland-idUSTRE73914Y20110410 Iceland says Icesave dispute to be solved in court], [[Reuters]], 10 April 2011</ref> Nearly 60% of Icelanders rejected the proposal put forward by the government.<ref>[http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/Icesave_Referendum_First_Numbers_0_376402.news.aspx Icesave Referendum: First Numbers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329133758/http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/Icesave_Referendum_First_Numbers_0_376402.news.aspx |date=29 March 2012 }}, Iceland Review, 9 April 2011</ref> The President's veto was thus upheld by the people.
[[File:Olafur Ragnar Grimsson World Economic Forum 2013.jpg|thumb|175px|Ólafur during the [[World Economic Forum|WEF]] 2013]]