Jennifer Simons: Suriname’s first female president

Jennifer Geerlings-Simons has been elected as Suriname’s first female president, marking a historic moment for the small South American country. The 71-year-old physician and veteran lawmaker, widely known for her role as the former Speaker of Parliament, was chosen following a decisive vote in the National Assembly, Suriname’s legislative body.

Her election came after a closely contested parliamentary race held on May 25, where her opposition party, the National Democratic Party (NDP), secured 18 seats. In comparison, the ruling Progressive Reform Party, led by outgoing President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, won 17 seats, while smaller parties collectively took the remaining 16 seats. Suriname’s president is not elected directly by the public, but rather by a two-thirds majority vote in the National Assembly, a system designed to ensure broader consensus in leadership.

The parliamentary deadlock led to a coalition agreement, a political deal between multiple parties to form a majority, which ultimately paved the way for Simons to run unopposed and secure the presidency. She is expected to take office on July 16, alongside her running mate, Gregory Rusland.

In her first remarks following the confirmation, Simons acknowledged the symbolic and practical weight of her new role:

“I am aware that the heavy task I have taken on is further aggravated by the fact that I am the first woman to serve the country in this position.”

Simons assumes leadership at a critical juncture. Suriname, with a population of about 646,000, is currently grappling with severe economic challenges, including high debt, subsidy cuts, and widespread public frustration. Though the outgoing administration had some success in restructuring debt and achieving macroeconomic stability—with the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)—it did so at the cost of austerity measures, triggering mass protests across the country.

Economists warn that Simons will face a "rocky road" ahead. According to Winston Ramautarsingh, former head of the national economists’ association, Suriname must repay around $400 million annually in debt servicing—the payments due on existing debt. He cautioned,

“Suriname does not have that money. The previous government rescheduled the debts, but that was only a postponement.”

Despite these daunting fiscal realities, Suriname is on the cusp of a potential economic transformation, with offshore oil production expected to begin in 2028. This has raised hopes for a new era of prosperity. Simons has pledged to stabilize state finances in the interim by tightening tax collection, particularly targeting small-scale gold mining operations, which often operate informally and are under-taxed.

Her leadership comes at a time when Suriname is also reassessing its global alliances. In 2019, it became one of the first Latin American countries to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)—a massive infrastructure and economic development program aimed at improving global trade links, spearheaded by China.

As Suriname approaches the 50th anniversary of its independence from the Netherlands this November, the country stands at a pivotal crossroads. While it remains one of the poorest nations in South America, it is rich in cultural diversity, home to communities descended from Africans, Indigenous peoples, Indians, Indonesians, Chinese, and Dutch settlers.

Simons’ presidency is both a symbolic breakthrough and a test of leadership. As she guides Suriname through this fragile period, balancing public discontent with the promise of future oil wealth, her tenure could shape the nation's trajectory for decades to come.

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