25% government

,,Madam President. Good people of the nation. A new government has taken office in Iceland, and it is right to wish it success in the tasks ahead that concern the well-being and welfare of the nation. Luckily, the government is taking over a good state of affairs. This good state was established under the watch of the Progressive Party. The Reform Party had nothing to do with it, and I do not recall that their ally, Bright Future, contributed much to the restoration of the Icelandic economy. However, I do recall that a former leader of that party proposed a parliamentary resolution "to delay the clock and for brighter mornings."

Two significant factors led to the improvement of matters in Iceland after the term of the first pure left-wing government ended, both issues that the Progressive Party highlighted in the 2013 elections. The first was the general initiative to correct the inflated housing loans, which greatly improved the equity position of many households. It has now reached the point where the debt of Icelandic households is among the lowest known in the Nordic countries — but was previously the highest of all. The other is the lifting of capital controls, which seems to be succeeding as well as the brightest hopes anticipated. These two huge issues, among others, laid the foundation for increased prosperity in Iceland. It is good for the new government to keep that in mind. Especially those who believed Iceland was best served by paying the debts of reckless individuals abroad, Icesave, and by joining the European Union, the burning house as the social democrat Jon Baldvin Hannibalsson apparently put it. There's a difference between those who wanted to extend a helping hand to Icelandic households with the correction and sought funds specifically for that purpose, and those who insisted that the treasury pay billions to appease foreign claimants. It can really be considered quite surprising that such individuals now rule the country. But hopefully, they have learned from their mistake.

But anyway, the days are getting longer, and therefore the mornings will be brighter, even though the clock has not been altered. And things will brighten in many respects if matters are properly handled. In that regard, it is not enough to recite phrases from the writings of past geniuses, even if they are from Grímsnes. More is needed.

The Honourable Prime Minister spoke earlier of balance. Balance was another guiding theme of the new government. According to the Honourable Prime Minister's speech, it is important that there should be balance in the social structure. He is right in that, and I agree with that assessment. In a section of his speech, one can read the following, with the President's permission:

"There are strong indications that the austerity measures following the crash have created the impression among a large section of the nation that the social contract for guaranteed access to healthcare has been broken. Increased expenditures on health matters in recent years have not managed to heal these impressions."

Indeed. What the Honourable Prime Minister is probably referring to here is that many feel that assured access to healthcare is not as good as it could be. It is surprising that the Prime Minister should see the lack of access to healthcare as being derived from impressions. I think there is little enthusiasm for such conclusions, not least among the good people who live in rural areas and do not have as good access to healthcare as those living in the capital area. When the Prime Minister talks about balance, it would be good to keep in mind the balance between the countryside and the capital area. But I also want to emphasize that I do not think there is any special reason to assume that this is hidden from him, quite the opposite.

Distinguished President. Support for the government among the people has now been measured, and a quarter are satisfied with it. Those who are very satisfied are less than 10%. What is noteworthy when the results of Maskína, which conducted the survey, are examined, is that the government enjoys significant popularity among those who have high incomes. There, the ratio of satisfied is about one third. And the proportion of satisfied continues to increase when the group that considers itself to have higher incomes than the national average is weighed. There, satisfaction is about 40%. This is not, in itself, a problem but perhaps tells us something about the appeal of the new government. And since the Prime Minister was talking about balance in his speech, I urge him and his government to pay particular attention to this.

It was not obvious after the elections how the government would be formed; the so-called complexity was high, mainly because various people had made premature and grandiose statements before and even after the elections. However, I want to say here that I believe, and am indeed convinced, that other possibilities were on the table. It would have been possible to form another kind of government that had a much broader political appeal than the right-wing government formed under the leadership of the Engey cousins. The Prime Minister is well aware of that. But he who endures the pain has the choice, and 25% satisfaction is the result of that choice. But what is past is past. The future is what matters most. We can only hope that the solid foundations laid for economic progress and prosperity during the last government's time under the Progressive Party's leadership will continue.

Good people of the nation. As has been mentioned, it is essential to embark on infrastructure development, for example, in healthcare, education, transportation, and tourism, to name a few of the main aspects. We need to build up infrastructure in secure steps as financially prudent. Our task is to increase funding for infrastructure development while improving the utilisation of the resources already allocated to these areas.

I found various things missing in the Prime Minister's policy speech and indeed missed it in the government parties' policy statement. I felt that foresight in employment issues was lacking, particularly on how to build a robust economy around the country, for instance, based on education, innovation, and the bioeconomy, where there are limitless opportunities.

Work, growth, and welfare, human dignity above material wealth are the slogans of us Progressives. To create good welfare, there must be reliable employment around the country for all its people. There is no reason to despair about Iceland's future. Now, as before, we have much to draw upon, and no one should have to suffer need. We will likely receive more of the same in the coming years. Inflation will be low, economic growth will continue, and the purchasing power of wages will hopefully strengthen even further. But there will come a time when it slows down. Therefore, it is important to secure our interests as a nation for the future. This is best achieved in harmony. People must not feel that some are more equal than others due to decisions made by the authorities. Politicians are supposed to be the servants of the people, not their masters. — Farewell."

Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson in debates on the Prime Minister's policy speech on 24 January 2017.