Career
He is affiliated with the Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin). In September 2010 he was appointed Minister for Social Affairs and Health and was charged with merging his department with the Ministry of Labour and create a new Ministry for Welfare from January 2011. After the parliamentary election 27 April 2013 there was a change of government and on 23 May Eygló Harðardóttir became the new welfare minister, while Kristjáni Þór Júlíussyni became minister of Health.
He died on October 23, 2015 after a very short battle with cancer.