Submitted article calls EU a burden and Iceland a diamond

In an opinion article published by mbl.is, business economist Albert Þór Jónsson argues that the European Union restricts freedom while Iceland’s resources, independence and natural environment give it exceptional potential.

Jónsson writes that people have less freedom to act and fewer choices when centralisation and regulation increase. He describes the EU as a centralised military and customs alliance that limits individual freedom, freedom to conduct business and people’s opportunities to improve their lives.

He compares Iceland to an uncut diamond, arguing that the country has peace, renewable energy, abundant water, clean air, natural resources and a leading fishing industry. He also highlights Iceland’s summer light and midnight sun.

According to Jónsson, the fishing and farming industries are cornerstones of Icelandic society and its knowledge industries. Many of the country’s most important natural resources and future sources of value are located outside the capital area, which he describes as Iceland’s “uncut diamond”.

He notes that Iceland’s economic zone extends 200 nautical miles from the country’s coastal baselines. Within that zone, Iceland has sovereign rights over the research, use, protection and management of living and non-living resources, as well as other economic activities and research, including energy production from tides, currents and wind.

Jónsson says the countryside offers considerable opportunities for people with initiative. He praises companies outside the capital area whose owners, he writes, have a clear vision for the future and can benefit their communities.

He also points to Iceland’s pension system, which he says is among the world’s three best. He attributes its strength to full funding and diversified investments around the world.

Iceland’s uniqueness, he writes, is based on its geographical position, culture, language, unpolluted nature, natural resources and talented population. He also identifies the country’s small size, population and highly educated workforce as strengths.

The establishment of the Republic of Iceland in 1944 marked the end of the centuries-long union between Denmark and Iceland, Jónsson writes. Icelanders had gradually gained greater independence, first receiving legislative authority over domestic matters in 1874, home rule in 1904 and full sovereignty in 1918.

Jónsson argues that the contribution of farmers and fishermen in rural Iceland, who helped lay the foundations of modern Iceland, deserves recognition. He predicts that demand for water, energy, clean air, natural beauty and clean and organic food will increase sharply in the future, raising their value.

He concludes by urging Icelanders not to be misled by politicians into accepting restrictions on freedom. Iceland, he writes, is a country of opportunities and new ideas.