75th anniversary of the republic

We commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Icelandic Republic today.

When we think of what has primarily shaped our republic and what defines us as a nation, it is clear that culture, language, and literature play a key role. In the struggle for independence, the national language was one of the main arguments that Icelanders were a distinct nation and that our independence claims were legitimate. The language is thus the key to our identity, and like democracy, Icelandic stands at certain milestones. Neither should we consider either as a given, not then nor today.

We can look to the birthday child of the day, Jón Sigurðsson, the president, in this context. He had a profound impact on Icelandic history as a scholar and politician, and his scholarly work largely shaped his discourse in the political arena. He was unafraid to hold contrary views to his contemporaries, applying critical thinking – reason and facts – in his important arguments. It was a realistic idealist who set us on the path to independence. In my opinion, critical thinking is the most likely to foster positive development of these two key elements; democracy and language. Democracy makes us free citizens and provides us with the opportunity for active participation in shaping society. At the same time, great responsibility rests upon us due to this, and it is our duty to acquire knowledge of current issues to strengthen democracy. What primarily works against the progress of any society is apathy and indifference. Active participation and constructive scrutiny yield us the greatest success, whether the tasks are small or monumental.

The fact that we can gather in large numbers at events across the country to celebrate this significant milestone in the nation’s history is not a given. The determination and perseverance shown by our ancestors in the struggle for the nation’s independence laid the foundation for where we stand today. It is up to us and future generations to continue on that foundation. I wish us all congratulations on the 75th anniversary of the Republic of Iceland.

Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Education and Culture. The article was first published in Frettablaðið on June 17, 2019.