MP Meyers: We are bigger than any problem, stronger than our challenges

GREAT BAY--At the closing of the 2024–2025 Parliamentary year on Monday, September 8, Member of Parliament Franklin Meyers, leader of the Soualiga Action Movement (SAM), delivered an address centered on resilience, accountability, and collective determination to overcome the island’s challenges while keeping faith in a brighter future.

Reflecting on his first year back in Parliament, MP Meyers reminded colleagues and the public that true leadership is measured not in calm times but in moments of difficulty.

“No government has ever governed without having to deal with their share of difficulties, and we are no exception. We will never be judged based on how well we handle the calm times, but how well we face the storms of life. As Dr. King once said, ‘The ultimate measure of a man, or in this case a country, is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.’”

Meyers pointed to the many hardships faced by Sint Maarten in recent years, including hurricanes, the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing energy crisis at GEBE, longstanding salary disputes involving ambulance and fire personnel, unresolved issues for justice workers, and crime. He stressed that the SAM faction remains committed to ensuring these matters are addressed and resolved.

“We have faced every crisis with urgency, resilience, and courage. And we will continue to do what is right by all the citizens of this country. The SAM faction stands committed to doing all in our power to ensure that these issues are not only addressed but also resolved.”

Emphasizing that progress often requires discomfort and risk, Meyers quoted Paul Jones: “Without risk there’s no success. It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who do not risk do not win.” He also reminded that growth never comes from remaining comfortable, stating, “Comfort is the enemy of growth, nothing grows in your comfort zone. Now, when you’re growing it’s very uncomfortable. Sometimes it feels like for every step forward, you take two steps backwards. But I firmly believe that God chooses His strongest soldiers for His toughest battles.”

He urged his fellow Members of Parliament and the public to face Sint Maarten’s problems together:

“Do we face challenges and problems? Yes we do. I know that not everything you face can be changed, but nothing can be changed unless you face it. Let’s face it together. Whatever it is that we hope to achieve, we must achieve it together.”

Closing his address on a note of encouragement, Meyers declared:

“To the people of Sint Maarten, I know at times the problems may seem insurmountable, but we are bigger than any problems, stronger than our challenges, and more resilient than our trials. We are SXM. We are built different because we are strong. God bless you all and God bless this sweet Soualiga land.”

The new Parliamentary year will officially open on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

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