Brynjar Stefánsson

Brynjar Stefánsson
Stefánsson in 2014
Hird of Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 January 2013
Monarch	Freja Adlerberg Þorleif II Bjarni Agnarsson
Meadcupbearer	Katrín Árnisdóttir
Lawspeaker of the Althing	Matteus Gunnlaugsson
Lawspeaker of the Hirds	Bjarni Árnason
Lawspeaker of the People	Brynheiður Bjarnfreðursdóttir
Preceded by	Rut Stefánsdóttir
Hird of Energy
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 January 2013
Monarch	Freja Adlerberg Þorleif II Bjarni Agnarsson
Meadcupbearer	Katrín Árnisdóttir
Lawspeaker of the Althing	Matteus Gunnlaugsson
Lawspeaker of the Hirds	Bjarni Árnason
Lawspeaker of the People	Brynheiður Bjarnfreðursdóttir
Preceded by	Bjarni Sigurðsson
In office 1 January 2004 – 1 January 2010
Monarch	Freja Adlerberg Lýtingur Bjarni Agnarsson
Meadcupbearer	Tryggvi Ármannsson
Lawspeaker of the Althing	Matteus Gunnlaugsson
Lawspeaker of the Hirds	Sigurður Benediktsson
Lawspeaker of the People	Valþór Ágústinsson
Preceded by	Ástríður Vilhjalmsdóttir
Succeeded by	Bjarni Sigurðsson
Þingmaður
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 January 1983
Deputy General Secretary of the Oil Workers 'Union
In office 1 January 1985 – 1 January 2000
Member of the AtlanticaOil Supervisory Board
In office 1 January 1983 – 1 January 2001
Secretary of the East Fjordhavn Section of the Oil Workers' Union
In office 1 January 1980 – 1 January 1985
Personal details
Born	(1949-05-17) 17 May 1949 Fjordhavn, Atlantica
Political party	Socialist-Farmer-Labour
Spouse	Ása Jóhannsdóttir
Children	3 sons
Profession	Oil worker Union organiser

Brynjar Stefánsson is an Atlantican politician who is a member of the Socialist-Farmer-Labour Party who has been serving as the Hird of Foreign Affairs (Atlantica's foreign minister; due to historical reasons in Atlantica, all Ministers are called Hirds) since 2013 and the Hird of Energy, additionally serving as Hird of Energy from 2003 to 2010. A self-described democratic socialist, he was elected Þingmaður (member of the Althing) in 1983 after being placed 26th on the SFL party list, largely due to his status as the Secretary of the East Fjordhavn Section of the Oil Workers' Union, as Stefánsson, a union organiser for the Oil Workers' Union, led the local section of one of the most important branches of the largest Atlantican union, as one of the few SFL-aligned members of the OWU (most are aligned with either the Socialist Left Party or the Communist Party) as he rose through the ranks of the OWU, eventually being elected as an OWU member of the AtlanticaOil Supervisory Board (under Atlantica's codetermination policies) in 1983 and the Deputy General Secretary of the OWU in 1985, making him the first (and to date only) member of the Socialist-Farmer-Labour to have a high leadership position in the OWU.

For his status as both a leading member of the OWU and a politician, he was elected Hird of Energy by the Althing in 2004, granting him an important position in the Atlantican government as the Ministry of Energy importantly manages AtlanticaOil and thus the oil industry, an industry incredibly strong in Atlantica. During his first term as Hird, he oversaw the renationalisation of partially privatised shares (30%) of AtlanticaOil in September 2005, a policy strongly advocated by the OWU since 30% of AtlanticaOil's shares were first privatised in 1989. He was re-elected Hird of Energy in 2007, but lost in 2010 as a right-wing government was elected. However, he was reinstated as Hird of Energy in 2013 after the left-wing parties were returned to government.

Stefánsson has attracted considerable controversy for his statements on foreign policy, releasing numerous statements calling for solidarity with the National Kraqi Opposition Coalition (which is based in and recognised by Atlantica), has rallied against "a puppet state of Luziycan and Koy Imperialists" (referring to the Kraqi Government), and has specifically condemned the Aininian Government for supporting the Kraqi Government to "Protect their own colony of East Nautarya". He has additionally referred to the Esquarium Union as "The international organisation of Luziycan colonies", and called Nevanmaa "More like Pre-Revolution Vjaarland than any modern state, what with its three puppet states with some amounts of autonomy like Atlantica was, that is Aldenya, Filimons, and Lyannesia, and worst of all its complete colony like Vestmark was before its Revolution, Lecistan." Despite these highly controversial statements, Stefánsson was elected Hird of Foreign Affairs in 2013 by the Althing, because even though Matteus Gunnlaugsson said that "Although his statements regarding foreign policy certainly have merit and I'm proud to have him be a Hird of Energgy, I'm not sure if he's the best person Atlantica wants for Foreign Affairs Hird", resulting in some Socialist Þingmaðurs voting against his confirmation as Hird (although the vast majority of SFL members did vote for his confirmation, and the SFL nominated him as Hird despite the opposition from Gunnlaugsson), all members of the Democratic Party, which sits in the opposition, voted for his confirmation as Hird of Foreign Affairs, resulting in him becoming Hird of Foreign Affairs.

Many have speculated that if Gunnlaugsson retires Stefánsson will run for Socialist-Farmer-Labour Party Leader, with many groups calling for him to run for SFL Leader, although Stefánsson has repeatedly stated that he is not interested in running and would prefer to see someone from a newer generation of Socialists take the helm as SFL Leader if Gunnlaugsson retires.