A right turn for Greenland
The Demokraatit party wins Greenland’s March 11 elections. A turnaround in the island’s politics.
A militarized threat, a courtesy call and an investment proposal… The American president’s initiatives gave Greenland’s elections a boost. Yesterday, this country of 57,000 inhabitants recorded an increase in voter turnout. Of the 40,500 eligible voters, 26,000 turned out at the 72 polling stations to give the pro-entrepreneurial center-right Demokraatit party 30% of their votes.
Behind them, with 24.1% of the vote, centrist-populist pro-independence, US-friendly Naleraq party achieved a spectacular rise, doubling its score. “This is the first time that these two historically less-represented parties have won elections, and it’s a complete turnaround in the political landscape that we’re witnessing,” says Michael Wenger, director of Polar Journal AG.
Although Demokraatit and its leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen are not in favor of the American president’s advances and reject them, they do not rule out a rapprochement with Naleraq, advocating unity.
In third place, the formerly socialist ruling party Inuit Ataqatigiit was saved by the big cities, winning 21.6% of the vote. “The question now is who Demokraatit will join forces with,” remarks Michael Wenger.
Although all parties are in favor of Greenland’s independence from the Danish crown, the two historically majority parties, Inuit Ataqatigiit and Siumut, advocate a smooth transition in their status. This time, Siumut took 14.9% of the vote and, according to Masaana Egede, editor-in-chief of Sermitsiaq, Siumut had “difficulty establishing a clear line”.
