– If we let the development go on, the arrows will continue to point down

In Finnmark county municipality we have set a goal. This period, getting 100,000 people to live in Finnmark should be at the bottom of what we do.

Some call it a naive. Others a utopia. I call it a goal. A goal we have chosen because we know that the alternative is not sustainable. It is about social development and it is about safety and preparedness.

If we let the development go, the arrows will continue to point down. We here in Finnmark and the rest of the kingdom simply do not afford. Neither human, economically nor strategically.

People are Finnmark’s biggest challenge. At the same time, it is our greatest opportunity. If we get people to move here we can develop our county. Then we can build the society we know that it is possible to create. A society with strong communities, with business in growth, and with security for the future. We can create the strong civilian presence that is so important for the sovereignty.

But then we must dare to say yes. Yes to the good initiatives. Yes to entrepreneurs. Yes to establishments. Yes to those who want something – and who need someone to cheer on them. A « no » from the county municipalities should only come when legislation or anything else we cannot do anything about forcing us. The standard response in Finnmark must be yes. That is the key to growth.

We have the resources. We know the potential is here. We have the world’s cleanest seas, full of seafood. We have tremendous energy potential – both on land and at sea. We have rich deposits of minerals, which are crucial in the green shift. We have tourism. We have reindeer husbandry. We have large areas with room for new, sustainable industry. Finnmark is richer than many ancestry.

We do not ask for alms, we ask to contribute.

It does not help if we have the values, if we do not have the power to trigger them. Then also the people we would like to have north.

Let me be clear: Nature conservation is important. Like all Finnmarks, I am also genuinely concerned about nature being taken care of. Now we are a situation with several crises at the same time. We have both a nature and a climate crisis. Then nature conservation cannot win 10 out of 10 times. It must be balanced. Without it, we will not develop Finnmark. Then we do not create the jobs needed and the important resources we need, including for the green shift, are not extracted.

Power is a prerequisite for our goal of 100,000 inhabitants. It’s not one of many factors – it’s the joker.

Without power – no jobs.

Without jobs – no people.

Without people – no business.

Without business – no schools.

Without schools – no society.

Then we are left with a museum. A beautiful museum for tourists, maybe, but for us who want to live and live in Finnmark it is not enough. We also cannot develop tourism without access to renewable energy.

What does this mean in a safety perspective? Yes, it simply means impaired sovereignty. The most important sovereignty we have in Finnmark is that people live here. That we have communities with activity, that we have business that creates value, that we have children who attend school, exciting career opportunities and people who work and live their lives here.

The defense must be strengthened in our county. Large investments have been notified. It is necessary and very welcome in today’s situation. But the defense cannot operate in a vacuum. Civil society is needed. Local business is needed. Services, suppliers, infrastructure are needed. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that power and settlement are security policy.

The role of the county council in this landscape is clear: We will facilitate. We will build infrastructure, offer higher education, lead good regional plans and be a strong representative for our municipalities. We will make sure Finnmark is equipped to meet the future.

But we must also be offensive. Therefore, a unanimous county council has decided to work for a tax package for Finnmark. It will make it far more attractive for both business and private individuals to establish themselves here. It is our game changer, and renewable energy a prerequisite here as well.

With all this in mind, it is sad that in reality it happens so little from the central team.

During the church conference last week, the Prime Minister Finnmark’s challenges compared the challenges in Indre Østfold. We can’t make a difference, he said.

Yes, we and we must. It is only in Finnmark that we have a common national border with Russia. Østfold borders, for comparison, against our allies in Sweden.

There is a significant difference – and a good reason to really invest in Finnmark: With its presence, the Finnmarks safeguard as the sovereignty of the border county. A unique and vital task for the entire nation. Now this is faltering – and it poses a danger to the country. Any professional will be able to tell how important a civil presence is for the sovereignty. This is what the prime minister knows.

The future comes anyway, but we can shape it ourselves. It must be built by all of us. The decision makers in the south must join, and they must act quickly. We are ready to give everything we have. If we are allowed.

County mayor

Hans-Jacob Bønå