Jenny Simons made history on Wednesday when she was sworn in as Suriname’s first female president, marking a significant milestone for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state. She was inaugurated alongside Gregory Rusland, who now serves as vice president.
The new leadership takes over from outgoing President Chandrikapersad Santokhi and Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk, whose five-year administration has come to a close.
In a firm and forward-looking inaugural address delivered during a special public session of Parliament, President Simons outlined a clear mandate for her administration: ensure that the benefits of Suriname’s emerging oil and gas industry uplift all citizens—not just a privileged few.
“We have little time left to prepare for this new phase in our economy,” Simons said, referencing recent offshore oil discoveries. “Much must be done, and it can only succeed with the participation of all Surinamers — at home and abroad.”
While acknowledging the serious economic challenges her administration inherits, Simons expressed optimism about the country’s prospects, so long as unity and discipline guide the way forward. “We are inheriting a country that still faces serious economic challenges, but with good prospects for the future — if we succeed in bridging these first difficult years,” she said.
Simons pledged to avoid the mistakes of other resource-rich nations where oil revenues have only widened inequality. “There are enough examples around the world of nations where the development of this sector enriched only a few,” she warned. “That must not be our story.”
Her administration, she said, will prioritize national recovery, institutional reform, and economic diversification. Key goals include restoring public health, strengthening the education system, investing in young people, and growing sustainable industries such as agriculture and tourism to reduce dependence on oil and gold.
“Fiscal discipline is necessary, but we must also invest — in our people, our children, and in eradicating poverty,” Simons said, while also stressing that increased state revenue must not come at the cost of the working class.
She extended a direct call to Suriname’s diaspora to join in building a more prosperous future. “The economy is the work of people, for people,” she said. “Only we, the people of Suriname, can ensure a better future — and only if we act in unity.”
Simons struck a unifying tone, urging Surinamese citizens to move past electoral divisions. She expressed gratitude to both supporters and critics, stating that dissent had helped strengthen her resolve.
“Money is important — for families and for the nation — but it cannot buy well-being or happiness,” she reflected. “For that, we need people. We need each other.”
Decentralization will also be a major focus of her government, Simons said, with efforts to empower local institutions and roll out targeted programs beginning this year to prepare the country for its anticipated economic transformation.
“I stand here today as your president. I know this task will demand everything I have,” she concluded. “But I begin it with the full awareness that the future of Suriname will be shaped — not by me alone — but by all of us, together.”
