New settlement policy

A Socialist Party meeting held on July 4th adopted the following policy for the party on regional affairs:

The Socialist Party of Iceland (Sósíalistaflokkur Íslands) wants to protect settlements across the country, preserve nature, and ensure that the land passes unspoiled to future generations. National parks must be managed for the public good, not for the benefit of industries or individual companies, and all administration should be approached in a communal manner. Restrictions shall be placed on land ownership, as land is not an ordinary market commodity but the foundation of the nation-state. Furthermore, fishing quotas shall be reclaimed where applicable, and settlements that once flourished but have suffered damage due to quota transfers by speculators shall be compensated. Thus, the fisheries management system shall be linked to settlements across the country as appropriate and in accordance with the Socialist Party's policy on natural resources.

By adopting a third administrative level, with the expansion of municipalities into regional government units, it will be possible to increase decentralization and maintain governance and services in smaller urban centers and rural areas (local governments). Emphasis will be placed on very good transport links within each municipality so that all its residents can access services within it without significant cost and effort – and the division of the country into municipalities will take transport into account. All infrastructure shall be strengthened so that each quarter of the country becomes self-sufficient and important services do not need to be sought elsewhere.

The Socialist Party aims for all residents of the country to live under the most similar conditions from a public perspective and to be able to access services in their local area. Thus, public services will be provided by municipalities and local governments, and services provided by the state will also be distributed across the country. Healthcare services will be available in municipalities, without relying on visiting doctors. The regional hospitals will be greatly strengthened, and the safety of rural residents will be ensured by developing the necessary infrastructure, such as improved healthcare services, so that each quarter is capable of providing medical treatment, rehabilitation, and general health care for residents with hospitals, health centers, and nursing homes free of charge, as stated in the Socialist Party's healthcare policy. Furthermore, electricity, both two-phase and three-phase, backup power stations, and telecommunications must be ensured, in addition to maintaining avalanche protection barriers. Clear and known emergency plans, including evacuation plans, must also be in place where there is a risk of volcanic eruptions or other natural disasters.

To preserve settlements around the country, and especially fragile settlements, all innovation shall be increased. This refers to increased innovation of all kinds, both that which benefits the basic industries; tourism, agriculture, energy-intensive industry, and fisheries, innovation in other technology, but last but not least in arts and culture. These sectors directly affect the feasibility of residency and opportunities in tourism. To this end, opportunities for continuing education will be greatly increased in the regions.

Furthermore, the profits from resources shall flow, not least, to the societal projects proposed here to be carried out in rural areas, i.e., for innovation, continuing education, and the reconstruction of employment opportunities. Culture and arts and university-level education shall be strengthened. On the one hand, older cultural heritage shall be nurtured and made visible, and on the other hand, new art and new art forms and other creative work shall be encouraged to flourish in a fertile environment, including in schools and in innovation and art workshops.

The Socialist Party also wants to enable municipalities to operate technical schools, universities, and other specialized schools at the secondary and university levels, thereby giving municipalities the opportunity to specialize so that the same subjects are not necessarily taught everywhere. A prerequisite is that dormitories and student apartments be operated in conjunction with schooling. Education and continuing education are key to innovation, and international and domestic experience shows that schooling in rural areas leads to students settling in the community and creating opportunities there. In addition, it is proposed that all secondary schools and universities in the country offer distance learning.

Public institutions and companies, especially large companies, shall increasingly adopt location-independent jobs. This will give young people the opportunity to raise their children in healthy conditions in rural areas in small communities that often have great social capital and mutual aid.

The Socialist Party wants increased protection of Icelandic nature and emphasizes the initiative of local residents in this regard. The rural areas possess about 40% of Europe's untouched wilderness, and these should be utilized sustainably so that the land passes unspoiled to future generations. The party emphasizes that unspoiled wilderness, the highlands, and other areas should be designated as national parks and protected from human and animal encroachment.

Furthermore, tourism shall pay for the use of the common infrastructure of the land and nation, and it shall be ensured that this industry does not spoil the appearance of nature and wilderness. To this end, special supervision of tourism is needed, and its normal development must be maintained, ensuring that tourist encroachment does not spoil nature, such as off-road driving within national parks, etc., and that tourism participates in the normal costs of infrastructure.

The policy of the Socialist Party of Iceland is to...

...ensure that Icelandic nature passes unspoiled to future generations and that national parks are managed for the public good, not for the benefit of industries or individual companies.

...treat all settlements equally with social governance and fair decentralization.

...ensure that all public services are accompanied by adequate funding throughout the country and that all residents of the country live under the most similar conditions and can access all necessary public services in their local area.

...harmonize social rights, including those to subsistence, housing benefits, and other services, across the entire country.

...adopt a third administrative level by expanding municipalities into regional government units.

...ensure that each quarter of the country possesses core infrastructure, such as well-equipped and staffed medical institutions and health centers, which serve residents without access fees or other costs, and equipment such as air ambulances, snowplows, etc.

...guarantee safety in rural areas with necessary power plants, telecommunications equipment, avalanche defenses, and other essential services, and that electricity and backup power stations are present in all settlements where they are necessary.

...improve the rural road network without tolls and that public transport be based on social principles, subsidized, and greatly improved for each region.

...restructure the fisheries management system so that settlements that need to rely on productive fishing grounds can flourish and the country's settlements benefit from their resources.

...increase the country's sustainability by, for example, fully processing products such as fish and other foodstuffs domestically and locally.

...significantly increase innovation throughout the country in all sectors to meet technological advancements and fluctuations in individual sectors.

...strengthen arts and culture in rural areas with new creative work and nurture older cultural heritage.

...make it possible to operate technical schools and universities, as well as other specialized schools at the secondary and university levels, within each region or quarter, and that continuing education be an option everywhere.

...ensure that public institutions and large companies increasingly adopt remote work or location-independent jobs.

...increase supervision of tourism and protect natural gems and wilderness as much as possible, and ensure that tourism is accompanied by the necessary funding for infrastructure and maintenance.

...designate unspoiled wilderness, the highlands, and other areas as national parks and protect them from human and animal encroachment.

...ensure that the utilization of farms, as stated in the Socialist Party's resource policy, is subject to conditions such as residency requirements and for a specified period at a time, so that no individual or company can accumulate land.