27/09/2016 Political Affairs and Democracy
Icelandic leaders welcomed PACE’s Political Affairs Committee to Reykjavik this week, speaking out strongly in favour of the Council of Europe’s core principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law as the most effective way to counter hate-speech, extremism and terrorism.
“Governance matters, no matter who you are or where you live,” Icelandic Foreign Minister Lilja Alfreðsdóttir told the parliamentarians. “Though good governance, human rights and the rule of law can seem unsatisfactory, they still offer the best tools to fight extremism and hate speech. […] Democracies may have their flaws, but government based alternative models such as religious fundamentalism, aggressive nationalism or crude populism are so much worse. We need to stay loyal to the basic principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Fighting fire with fire does not put out the fire. Water is much better for that purpose. We therefore need to flush out hate-crime and hate-speech using the principles which are so dear to our hearts.”
In his welcome address the Speaker of the Icelandic Parliament, Einar K. Guðfinnsson, noted that patterns of political participation were changing, as people turned away from established political parties and found other ways to convey their views – such as via social media. “While facts are more readily available than ever, they often seem to be afterthoughts,” he pointed out. “Promoting democracy and inclusiveness, along with actively encouraging participation in elections, is a demanding task that we all must take seriously,” he concluded.
Karl Garðarsson, head of the Icelandic delegation to the PACE, pointed out that the Althingi – the Icelandic parliament – was one of oldest parliamentary institutions in the world, established as an outdoor Assembly c. 930. He pointed out that the Icelandic public has been seeking a greater say in decision-making, leading to a recent debate over constitutional reform.
Skúli Magnússon of the University of Iceland reviewed the recent constitutional reform process in Iceland following the 2008 financial crisis, explaining how ambitious proposals for fundamental changes to the existing constitution of 1944 have been widely debated, but so far not enacted. “The past years have been a great learning experience for Iceland,” concluded Mr Magnússon. “We learn by trial and error.
Therefore, I submit that this work has not all been for nothing. It has indeed increased our understanding of our Constitution and how to go about changing it.”