Dear ambassadors, distinguished Members of Parliament, Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate the 101:first year of the autonomy of Åland.











I am very glad to see so many of you here. My name is Fredrik Karlström and I am the minister of trade and Industri in the åland government.
As a proud representative of Åland Islands, I stand before you to share some intriguing information about our little paradise in the north of Europe.
As a minister on a small Island i am not just responsible for Trade & Industry, I am also the minister of agriculture, fisheries, turism, labour market and digitalization. So my portfolio is quite big.
I know what you might be thinking:
”A Minister from a small island coming to Brussels? Now we will only hear about complaints, concerns and injustice and why they still not have gotten their seat in the European Parliament”.
But fear not,
I have a different agenda for tonight. Instead of adding to the chorus of complaint, let me tell you about a place where happiness thrives.
Åland, is according to many sources the world’s best-kept secret when it comes to living and dwelling.
A place so magical that even our inhabitants sometimes take it for granted.
We, that calls Åland our home, we have a unique luxury. We have the freedom to complain about things that would be considered perks elsewhere.
Åland is perfectly situated between Finland and Sweden and we have taken the best from our neighbors, leaving behind the things we don’t like and created our own paradise.
Thanks to that : every year, about one thousand souls find their way to our shores, drawn by the irresistible charm of Åland and are now calling the island their home.
Most people come from Finland and Sweden, but ever since our European Union membership, we’ve become a melting pot of diversity, with a stunning blend of 100 nationalities and 70 different languages.
On Åland, we have a world record in democracy. We have a parliament, a government and 16 municipalities with all that entails.
We have almost 2900 active companies, 3 listed on the stock exchange which testifies to a business climate that encourages entrepreneurs and stimulates creativity.
The unemployment rate have been around 4 % since the middle of the 90:this and at the moment there are plenty of different jobs available in all sectors.
We have the most hours of sunshine in the Nordic, we are the most self sufficient Islands and we are among the regions that have longest life expacancy in the world. And we wear the title of the healthiest region in Finland like a badge of honor.
A life on Aland means that the Traffic congestion lasts a whopping ten minutes a day! And that’s the same time everyday around 07:45 in the morning.
Yes, a traffic jam so short that you barely have time to adjust your car radio.
So in Åland you get more time for the things that matters in life.
You might be pondering, ”What do these folks do for a living?”
Many presume our economy is solely reliant on agriculture, fishing, and tourism.
Yes, these sectors significantly contribute to our robust economy. After all, we produce 70% of Finland’s apples, 50% of all farmed fish and export an array of quality produce, such as onions, potatoes, meat, milk, and cheese. —all of impeccable quality.
Still agriculture/fischeries and tourism stands only for about 10% of our GDP. 90% comes from other things.
Shipping, Banking, insurance, hi-tech plastic industry, the public sector, service and IT are what most people are working with
But enough about statistics and accomplishments in the field of trade and industry.
Åland is much more than that.
We have our own flag, stamps, register plats and top-domain. We have 26 libraries, 19 volunteer fire departments, a rescue agency, 16 inspiring churches, our very own hospital, four media hoses, a vibrant culture life and more sport facilities than anyone could count.
But how about Education you may ask?We’ve got it covered!
With a ratio of only four students per teacher, our island is a haven of personalized learning with small classes all the way from kindergarten up to our university of applied science.
But we also just started a new tech/Coding School. With no classes, no teachers and no cost for the students.
It has become an enormous success and at the moment 65 people from the whole world is studying to become digital talents. We call the school Grit:lab. I could talk for hours about this initiative, that I am so proud over, but I won’t. But Check it out on gritlab.ax.
But let me share with you the secret ingredient that makes Åland truly special. It’s the people living there.
40% of the people living on åland are born somewhere else. And as I said about 1000 people are moving to the island each year. All bringing new ideas, talents and influences with them.
One thing that I notice happens when you live on Åland is that’s your self confidence grows, but in a good way. I think it depends on the way the society works and the way we live. Call it the joy of living or the art of not taking ourselves too seriously.
In åland, titles doesn’t mean a thing. If you are a CEO of a big company or a minister in the government you are still just you. And you are just a phone call away. And you are supposed to answer if the phone rings.
As a minister of trade an industry I often talk to young people about åland and entrepreneurship. And I have a saying that’s probably not 100% political correct but it sends a message that I think somehow explains the åland way of living and that nothing is impossible on the islands of peace.
I tell them that “Bättre att be om förlåtelse än tillåtelse,” which roughly translates to ”It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”
And trust me, a lot of people from Åland take that to heart, in a good way and they gets things done.
In Åland, we dance like nobody’s watching and sing like we’re auditioning for the Eurovision Song Contest.
We rather listen to a string until it breaks instead of not playing at all or as the saying goes ”It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
So, my dear friends, as I raise my glass to toast the remarkable union of nations gathered here tonight and a toast to the European Union, let us celebrate the vibrant spirit of Åland this day.
And remember, if life throws challenges your way, just channel your inner Ålander and ask yourself, ”What would the people living on the island of joy and happiness do?”
Don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness. Just follow your Grit and your own willfulness.
And finally if you want to live longer, healthier and happier. Welcome and move to Aland. Our doors are open, we want to grow and we need people like you to build our community even better.
Thank you, forgive me and skål!