Recent polls have shown that while the vast majority of Greenlanders are in favour of independence, few are willing to compromise their standard of living to achieve it.

By Magnus Lund Nielsen

Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte B. Egede has called for a general election to be held on 11 March to reshuffle the country’s parliament at a time when relations with Denmark, Europe and Washington are at a critical juncture.

The election will be held on 11 March, about a month before the deadline for them to take place. 

“It’s time for an election to Inatsisartut [Greenland’s parliament]. And if Inatsisartut approves my proposal, this will happen on 11 March. We are in the middle of a serious time,” Egede wrote on Facebook on Tuesday. 

“A time like we have never experienced in our country. This is not a time for internal division. As the times oblige us to work together and unite for our country. I am again more than ready to work for you and to lead our country,” he added. 

The Inuit nation has been under intense scrutiny since US President Donald Trump renewed his claim to the Arctic island, refusing to rule out military force to seize it.

The current government is made up of the Green Community of the People party and the Social Democratic Siumut. Together they hold 21 of the 31 seats in Greenland’s parliament, known as Inatsisartut.

Both parties are in favour of independence, but the Community of the People party, in particular, advocates a cautious approach – full independence should only be pursued when the country is less dependent on financial support. Currently, Denmark’s block grant to Greenland amounts to around €500 million a year.

Sections of the incumbent social-democratic Siumut party seemed more receptive to Trump’s advances.

Siumut MP Kuno Fencker made headlines after travelling to Washington DC to speak to US Republican lawmaker Andy Ogles, the architect of the recently proposed Make Greenland Great Again Act authorising President Trump to negotiate the acquisition of Greenland from Denmark.  

Although Fencker insisted he was speaking in a private capacity and not as a lawmaker, his visit drew criticism from party colleagues. 

Naleraq, an opposition party with four seats, wants to speed up the process and start the divorce from Denmark as soon as possible. Finally, the last two parties, the conservative Atassut and the liberal Demokraatit, are in favour of maintaining the current relationship with Denmark. They have two and three seats respectively in the current parliament.

Recent polls have shown that while the vast majority of Greenlanders are in favour of independence, few are willing to compromise their standard of living to achieve it.  

As a semi-autonomous country under Denmark, Greenland is responsible for a range of domestic issues, including education and health, while security and foreign affairs remain the responsibility of Copenhagen.

On Monday, EU national leaders signalled their support for Denmark and Greenland’s right to self-determination.

“Preserving the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, its sovereignty and the inviolability of its borders, is essential for all member states,” said European Council President António Costa.

Source: Euractiv.com