Main content

How Did Iceland Clean Up its Banks (And Why Can't We)?

Iceland has put its prime minister on trial, cleaned up its banks and continues to jail senior bankers.

At 4pm on 6 October 2008, as the global financial crisis ravaged Iceland鈥檚 economy, its prime minister addressed the nation. "There is a danger, fellow citizens," he said, "that Iceland could be sucked into the whirlpool and the result could be national bankruptcy. It was decided this morning to suspend trading with the banks. God Bless Iceland.鈥

The message was clear. Iceland was about to do what no other country had done - let its banking sector fail. And that was only the start. Over the coming years, Iceland would go on to do much more - clean up its banks and prosecute many senior bankers. And the story is still unfolding. Just two months ago, five more bank executives were jailed. So how exactly has Iceland done it? What happened next to Iceland鈥檚 economy? And why aren鈥檛 other nations following Iceland鈥檚 example?

(Photo: Protest against the Icelandic government 29 November 2008 in Reykjavik. Credit AFP/Getty Images)

Available now

23 minutes

Last on

Sun 14 Feb 2016 03:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Tue 9 Feb 2016 02:06GMT
  • Tue 9 Feb 2016 03:06GMT
  • Tue 9 Feb 2016 04:06GMT
  • Tue 9 Feb 2016 05:06GMT
  • Tue 9 Feb 2016 07:06GMT
  • Tue 9 Feb 2016 13:06GMT
  • Tue 9 Feb 2016 14:06GMT
  • Tue 9 Feb 2016 20:06GMT
  • Tue 9 Feb 2016 21:06GMT
  • Sun 14 Feb 2016 03:06GMT

Featured in...

Podcast