On Friday afternoon, SIK Chairman Jess G. Berthelsen gave his speech on the International Workers' Day, May 1st, in Nuuk.
He began by warning against demographic changes in society:
- It is my assessment that the most dangerous situation that can happen to our dear country is that the Greenlandic population no longer grows. We who live in this country are becoming fewer and fewer, he said.
Jess G. Berthelsen links a significant part of the exodus to economic conditions.
The rising prices that have hit many SIK members hard are partly caused by global developments. But the economy is still Greenland's own responsibility, emphasized Jess G. Berthelsen:
– The electorate also has a share of responsibility in this regard, because we elect politicians who make promises without giving a clue as to where the money will come from, he said.
Jess G. Berthelsen believes that politicians should stop talking about taking back new areas until the financing of them is in order.
– Let's learn from the Faroese. They also want independence. But the Faroese are not begging from Denmark. They are voluntarily reducing the subsidies from Denmark because they know that you cannot become independent by begging.
The SIK chairman called for seeing potential in mining – this also applies to uranium, which he himself once opposed. And the national government must make a decision about the shrimp factories of the future, even though it may hurt, he continued.
– In order to move forward, we will have to sacrifice something. More and more of our compatriots are moving out of the country. The only way to keep them, and thereby slow down the migration, is to create more welfare in this country, said the SIK chairman.
