On the evening of the national holiday in 2019

Then the national day is upon us by evening. The 75th anniversary of the Republic of Iceland was celebrated across the country. My celebrations began at Austurvöllur, then I moved into the Parliament House where young people filled the assembly hall with a special youth parliament. The emphasis of the youth was particularly clear when it came to climate issues: They want a clear policy and actions. After the youth parliament concluded, I, along with the Framsókn parliamentary group, welcomed visitors when the doors of Parliament were opened to the public. After a good day in the city, my rural area took care of us in the national festival spirit, sunny and beautiful.

There are many emotions that stir within a person on this festive day of the Icelandic nation. Patriotism, pride, and optimism. The history of Iceland is extremely remarkable. It is no less interesting to look a century and a half back and see the changes and progress that have taken place in this country. We took a big leap into the future and are now at the forefront of nations in terms of all the main measures of quality of life.

We can be grateful to previous generations for bringing society to the place it is now.

And the world changes quickly. We need not look further back in time than fifteen years to see how much of a time of change we are experiencing. Sixteen years ago, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Spotify did not exist. Before that time, the internet had changed the world with access to information and entertainment. Now we experience new dimensions in communication and society with the advent of social media. We open windows into our lives and peer into the lives of others through windows. These new dimensions have particularly affected politics.

The effects of new media are clearly seen in elections around the world in recent years. All sorts of slander and misinformation spread widely without the possibility of response, and without those responsible for the misinformation being held accountable. It is no less alarming that the effects of misinformation also manifest in the health of humanity, linked to the growing group of parents who do not vaccinate their children out of fear of autism. No matter what the scientific community does, it proves difficult to stamp out this myth. A similar situation exists regarding climate issues and climate change disasters.

We need to stay vigilant in the increase of extremism in societies, be alert to changes in society. And then we also need to know the history and community, know what we stand for, where we want to go, and especially how we want to reach the destination. In the world of demagoguery, it is the conflict, violence, and division of society into for and against that is most popular because it has proven effective both across the Atlantic and across the sea.

When this beautiful national day has come by evening, I am first and foremost grateful to be part of this small nation that is so incredibly diverse and vibrant. Here we have come. Then there is nothing else to do but continue to build up in Iceland. Societies must not stop evolving. We, the entire nation, are all participants in deciding the direction, and our tool is called politics.

I congratulate you on the 75th anniversary of the Republic of Iceland.

Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Minister of Transport and Local Government.