Iceland's Economy Minister Sigfusson to EuroFora: Boost Real Economy, from Fish to the Net !...

*Strasbourg/Council of Europe/Angelo Marcopolo/- Real Economy, well beyond speculative Financial bubbles which imploded after the Global Crisis, is our Fortune and key for Future, sustainable Growth, from traditional Agriculture up to Modern InterNet, etc., stressed the succesful Icelandish Economy and Finance Minister Steingrímur Sigfússon to "EuroFora", just before a Key-note speech at CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly's debate on Young People and the current Crisis.

    Sigfusson is Iceland's Minister of Economy during the Crucial present Period of 2009 - 2012, i.e. practically since the 2008/2009 "Krach" that he started to overcome succesfully, (including also for Fisheries and Agriculture since 2011), as well as Founder and President of the "Green-Left Movement"'s political party since its inception (1999-2012), part of the current Governemental Coalition, but also an Experienced former Communications Minister as early as on 1988-1991, i.e. when the Internet was just Starting to spread Worldwide.

 - "Iceland is famous also about Digital Economy, at least Symbolically", "EuroFora" observed, (given a World-Famous project to draft an Internet Legislation which would be the most Respectful to Citizens' Human Rights, particularly on Media's Press Freedom : Comp. also "EuroFora"s NewsReport and statements by that "Modern Media Initiative"'s Spokeswoman, Icelandish MEP   Birgitta Jonsdottir : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/internetcoejonsdottir.html ). Do you think that this might contribute in the Economy's ReLaunch ?", we asked the Icelandish Minister.

- "Yes ! Yes, It is True ! It's already" contributing to Growth, the country's Finance Minister Steingrímur Sigfússon, agreed in reply to "EuroFora"s question, for the period 2009-2012, during which Iceland reportedly reached the Highest proportion of People's Access to Internet (95%), and according to UNO's International Telecommunications Union, from nearby Geneva, is ranked 3rd in  the World for the Development of Information/Telecommunications Technologies (2010), stands among the Highest Ranked Countreis in Press Freedom according to a 2011 Report by "Freedom House", and its International Modern Media Institute, at Reykjavik, has recently published a 1st Report on the Famous Icelandish Initiative to draft the Best Legislation in the World for the protection of Investigative Journalism's Freedom, on April 2012.

+ On the contary, Sigfusson found it, at least partly "likely", when "EuroFora" also reminded that, when the notoriously sudden, deep and abrupt Crash in Banks occured, back on 2008, Iceland was campaining at UNO's Headquarters, at New York, as a Candidate to UN Security Council's Membership for 2 Years (2009-2011), in sharp Competition to Turkey, etc., while Reykjiavik's Government had denounced the former "New Labour" Brittish Government of Mr. Blair to have illegaly provoked Heavy Damages to Iceland's Banks by abusing of a so-called ... "Anti-Terrorist" Legislation in order to Block Access to them !).

=> - "But, when the Financial "Bubble" Economy (suddenly) Disappeared, the Real Economy was there !", the key Icelandish Minister stressed to "EuroFora".

=> - F.ex., sectors like "Fishing, Agriculture and Food Industry, Tourism, Energy, Internet, and so forth", he pointed out.

- "So, this was our Fortune : The Real Economy !", as underlined Steingrímur Sigfússon, who had been personally born at a big Agricultural Farm at the North-Eastern area of the country, and got also Fisheries and Agriculture inside its Ministerial Competences on the overall Economy, anew since 2011, (that he had also specifically assumed in a previous Government in the Past).

(Sigfusson "World Famous" ? Here exceptionaly Photographed, during his Press Conference, by the President of CoE Assembly's "EuroLeft" Group, Dutch MEP Tiny Cox himself)...

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    - Compared f.ex. to Greece's case, the number of Iceland's State and Public Sector civil servants and employees, (appointed/hired under previous Governments) was not so much DisProportinately Bigger than what the Country's GDP could afford, Sigfusson also agreed with "EuroFora". (I.e. the situation, in this regard, was rather closer to that of Argentina, which didn't have a so big "Gap" between its Productive Sectors and State Agents, which notoriously had become too numerous for Greece's economy to support, since the 1980-2012 former "Socialist" PASOK Governments, so that the system provoked a chronic "Structural Deficit", as experienced MEP, co-Chair of EU Parliament's "Green" Group, Daniel Kohn-Bendit had stressed recently at a Conference in Strasbourg),

    - "But, as a Skandinavian Country, we (Iceland) have also a comparatively Strong Public Sector, with a more extensive Social Welfare System, Sigfusson observed, nevertheless, to "EuroFora", compared f.ex. to the situation in Greece, - where, however, the Surplus of State/Public Sector employees, apointed/hired by notorious Clientelism/Nepotism mainly of PASOK's 1980-2012 former Governments, generally didn't even concern, neither Productive, nor even Social Welfare sectors, but rather Bureaucracy, Police and Courts, State-controlled Media, etc... Provoking since he 1980ies a growing Deficit and, therefore Debt, that a former "Socialist" Government in Greece, " had Hidden, and was Allowed to do so", back on 1998-2001, when former "Socialist" EU Governments decided Athen's earlier than normal entry in €uroZone even before doing necessary Reforms, (as that former PASOK Government did, in exchange, close its eyes, on Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid, despite Gross Violations of Ankara's obligations to respect Human Rights, Democrarcy and International Law : See "EuroFora"s analysis, published at several occasions since December 2009), as Brittish MEP Binley denounced this week during CoE Assembly's Debates.

    - Moreover, in Iceland, High "Risk taking, Speculative elements had to be isolated in the old Banking Sector ", which had been "Over-Heated" just before the 2008/2009 "Krach", when the Financial Bubble imploded. So that the Icelandish Government's priority was "Not trying to rescue these Banks", but rather to focus on saving and developing the Real Economy, "by not giving all the Money to (old, failed and Speculative) Banks". Instead, it found "better to recapitalize a New Financial sector", with a more sound  and healthy Banking system, as he also said.

    - At any case, it's not easy to automatically compare differend situations between various Countries, and, therefore, the Icelandish Economy Minister preferred to abstain from advising, f.ex. the Portuguese or the Greek, and other €uroZone Member Countries on what might be better for them to do in order to efficiently overcome the Sovereign Debt Crisis, as he also replied to another Journalist's question in front of "EuroFora".

    - If you have an Economy which can be Strong in Exports, and you can Devaluate your currency (i.e. for Non-€uroArea Countries, as Iceland until now), then, you might alleviate and/or delay some abrupt Social Hardships, at least for some time. But, at the end, it's always better to be Responsible, and not leave for our Children or our Grand-Children today's Debt burdens to pay, but find one or another way to settle these issues ourselves, as Steingrimur Sigfussson also said, earlier, in substance in a Press Conference at the CoE before his Speech at CoE's PanEuroepan Assembly's Plenary Debate on the current Crisis and young People, (Comp. other relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReports, herewith).

       Succeeding to overcome the Crisis in which even a generally Good Economy as Iceland's found itself "at the Autumn of 2008, after the Lehman brothers'" bankrutcy, when recently privatized Banks, which had abused in borrowing and lending Money all over Europe, so that a Financial bubble had grown Bigger than 10 times Iceland's real GDP, suddenly lost - 85% of their money, this being followed also by a - 40% Devaluation of the National Currency, obliging the Government to transfert old Banks' assets and deposits to New Banks and start working from scrap, as Sigfusson reminded in a well attended PanEuropean CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, where he is well known since he served as a MEP in Strasbourg until 2009, apparently attracted numerous MEPs,  Ambassadors', Journalists' and COE Experts' interest...

    + Meanwhile, Sigfusson, who appeared eager and Glad to find that CoE had, meanwhile, organized a few Open Air areas, where People could stay, discuss, work and breath Fresh Oxygen, when "EuroFora" showed him an entry earlier today, also smiled, saluting, when we simply suggested that Iceland's "Real Economy" spirit advances as far as to propose f.ex. Holidays during Strasbourg's and Central Europe's unsupportable Heatwave this Summer, at some reFreshing Fishing Villages, facing the Arctic and/or Atlantic Oceans, in traditional Rural Houses covered with Green Turf, as, f.ex. in the beautiful Bolungarvik blessed even by the Gulf Stream (Photo), on condition, naturally, that the Icelandish genius finds also a creative way to add fast-track Internet, (a "Holy Graal" for quality, Healthy and fruitful Sommertime, which might also contribute to boost "Real Economy", from Fish to the Net).. 

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