Opinion polls had forecast the coalition would fall short of a majority but a surge in support for the centre-right Progressive Party, set to win five more seats than in 2017, pushed its total count to 38 seats in the 63-seat parliament Althingi.

The government consisting of the Left-Green Movement, the conservative Independence Party and the centrist-agrarian Progressive Party gained three seats compared to the 2017 election.Before the election, the three parties said they would negotiate continued cooperation if they held their majority, according to RUV.

People line-up to vote outside a polling station in Reykjavik, Iceland, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. Iceland is heading to the polls for general elections on Saturday with nine parties running for seats at the North Atlantic island nation’s Parliament, or Althing. Polls suggest Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir’s Left Green Party could face a poor outcome, ending the current coalition. (AP Photo/Brynjar Gunnarsson)

President Gudni Johannesson has yet to officially hand a mandate to the party that will be tasked with forming the next government.

The conservative Independence Party again became the biggest in parliament despite losing some support but keeping its number of seats unchanged while the Left-Green Movement is seen shedding five seats.