Naalakkersuisoq for Idræt Nivi Olsen (D) finds it justifiable and within the scope that she used tax dollars for a business trip to the Winter Olympics in Italy, even though the country is in the middle of a challenging time.
Siumut politician Lars Poulsen has asked questions about Nivi Olsen’s business trip to the Winter Olympics, “when Naalakkersuisut has called for national unity and a focus on Greenland’s pressing challenges at home”.
In a longer paragraph 37 answer, Nivi Olsen explains about the trip to Italy that sport gives us an important point of reference in a time characterized by unrest and change.
Necessary free space
– Although we must maintain attention to both our own challenges and the larger global crises, sport creates a necessary free space where we can be present, find joy and experience community, she believes and refers to the fact that music also manages to bring people together across differences, and major events give us a common focal point in the middle of everyday life”.
– The targeted efforts and dedication of the athletes inspire us and remind us of the value of pursuing our own ambitions. Therefore, it is crucial that our athletes feel supported at international events such as the Olympics – also from the official side, states Nivi Olsen.
Own flag
Naalakkersuisoq for Sports further explains that “the dialogue about the long-term desire to one day be able to participate under one’s own flag at international sports competitions continues and leads to a concrete result in the future”.
– It means a lot to the population of Greenland that one’s own identity and national symbols can be shown and represented on the international and sporting stage, it is emphasized.
The trip was not free of cost, as it ran up to DKK 125,000, which covered expenses for Nivi Olsen and an official. She explains that the Greenlandic flag was included on the journey, and “the visible presence contributed to strengthening Greenland’s position on the international sports scene”.
More meetings
Nivi Olsen explains that during the Winter Olympics meetings were arranged with the Danish Minister of Culture, the Danish Sports Confederation, Elite Sport Greenland and the Greenland Sports Confederation.
– In addition, interviews were given to various media due to the increased attention to our country and the new geopolitical situation we find ourselves in, informs Nivi Olsen, who also points out that she also had meetings with, among others, the Danish Minister of Education about current matters.
Erik Jensen received criticism
It is not the first time that there has been a debate about the travel of politicians and especially members of Naalakkersuisut to sporting events.
Back in 2024, when the women’s national handball team participated in the World Cup in Norway, the then Naalakkersuisoq for Taxes and Finances Erik Jensen, Siumut, received fierce criticism from the opposition by the chairmen of the Democrats Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Naleraq’s Pele Broberg.
The two opposition politicians found it difficult to see why a Naalakkersuisoq for Finance and Taxes should have a tax-paid experience in the handball hall in Stavanger, where the Greenlandic women captivated the whole world for their courage.
Nivi Olsen was the only politician from Naalakkersuisut who traveled to Italy during the Winter Olympics this year. It is not disclosed which sports she attended. The Greenlandic biathletes Sondre and Ukaleq Slettemark delivered great performances during the Olympic races in Cortina and have expressed gratitude for the support the two siblings received from their home country.
