meirihluta

Meirihluta is the Icelandic term for the majority, referring to more than half of the seats in a legislative body or more than half of votes in an election. In political practice, a meirihluti allows the holder to pass ordinary legislation and implement policy without the need for support from opposition groups. It is achieved either by a single party winning a majority of seats, or by a coalition of two or more parties whose combined seats exceed half of the total.

Having a meirihluti generally gives a government greater control over the legislative agenda, though coalitions still require compromise among partner parties and may feature agreements to support or abstain on key votes. The concept is central to how governments are formed and how stable they are within a parliamentary system.

In some contexts, certain decisions may require a larger majority or other procedures, according to the constitution or law, such as constitutional amendments or special budgeting rules. The term is also used to describe the status of a government that commands a majority in the legislature at a given time.

Etymology: meirihluta is formed from meiri- “more” and hluti “part.”

See also: minority, coalition government, majority government.