Greenland is faced with a change of government: the oppositional party democracy surprisingly landed in first place. Because US President Trump claims the island, special attention was paid to the choice.
The largest island in the world is getting a new government. The Middle Rights Party Democratit clearly won the parliamentary election in Greenland. According to the official election result, the previous opposition party, which is considered economic -friendly, was more than tripled and came to 29.9 percent.
The nationalist Naleraq party also increased significantly and came to 24.5 percent. The parties of the previously ruling coalition, on the other hand, landed in third and fourth place.
New government wants to develop a schedule for independence
The only 33-year-old Democratite boss Jens-Frederik Nielsen will now be trying to try the formation of the next Greenland government. None of the parties alone reaches a majority of the 31 seats in parliament. Nielsen announced at night to stretch his hand towards all other parties – also to the Naleraq.
The new government faces major challenges: In particular, it must explain the procedure and a schedule for a possible independence of the Arctic island of Denmark, which is advocated by the vast majority of the Greenland population.
Democratite and Naleraq have different ideas here. While the democracy for a careful and gradual path is committed to independence from the former Denmark colony, Naleraq insists on a rapid splitting. In the election campaign, individual politicians of the nationalist party had been openly shown to consider suggestions from the US government for a possible takeover.
Trump debate shapes choice
The parliamentary election was strongly under the impression of the property claims by US President Donald Trump. In the past few months he had repeatedly said that he wanted to take control of the island. He justifies this requirement with national or international security.
Most recently, Trump interfered in the hot phase of the election campaign by promising new jobs and wealth to the Greenlanders through his platform Truth. In the article he invited the inhabitants of the island to become “part of the greatest nation in the world” shortly before the election if they wanted.
Majority of the Greenlanders against integration into the USA
However, it is not as simple as Trump imagines. Unlike in the case of Alaska in 1867, the USA territory cannot simply buy from other countries these days. According to a survey, a clear majority of the Greenlanders are also against becoming part of the United States. Against this background, it is completely unrealistic to the current status that the next Greenland government will follow the Trump request in any way.
57,000 people live in Greenland. The island was a Danish colony until 1953. It has been autonomous in many areas since 1979, but the former colonial power of Denmark is still deciding on foreign and defense policy.
With information from Julia Wäschenbach, ARD studio Stockholm.
