Ki Hong Lee Instagram – Jon wrote: “When I created the Best Party, I made a point of bringing in as many generous, intelligent, and sincere people as I could identify. Most of these people had, like so many others of the same ilk, ended up following the route of passivity in politics. With the Best Party I wanted to address precisely these people and get them to join in.”
In 2010, the Best Party captured 6 out of 15 seats in the City Council of Reykjavik, the largest city in Iceland and half it’s population, and Jon became Mayor, while promising he would not consider coalition partnerships with anyone who had not watched The Wire.
Jon said: “Just because you’re funny doesn’t mean you can’t be serious.”
In the four years of his term as Mayor, Jon led with distinction and surprised cynical critics. He introduced Betri (Better) Reykjavik, a direct democracy platform that empowered citizens to weigh in on direct proposals for municipal spending, and offered the platform to any other governments who wished to use it. Reykjavik stabilized, after a spate of one year mayors and political turmoil, and citizens could focus on rebuilding and trusting their government to be engaged and responsive. He spoke out about human rights and for dissidents around the world. He dressed in drag and led the city’s Pride parade. He dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi and received the Lennon Ono Grant For Peace Award in 2014. He inspired other comedians-turned-public servants, like Ukraine’s President Zelensky (after winning the Ukrainian Presidency, Zelensky’s chief of staff said, “We made history based on his example” about Jon).
At the end of his first term, Jon and his party had approval ratings high enough to easily ensure reelection, had he wanted, but instead Jon left government, and turned to his creative pursuits. (Post 2/3) | Posted on 23/May/2024 13:45:00
