by Stefan Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
NUUK, GREENLAND (Worthy News) – Greenland’s pro-business opposition Demokraatit party won Tuesday’s parliamentary election, dominated by U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s pledge to take control of the island, official results show.
The Demokraatit party—the Democrats—and the second-place party, Naleraq—“Point of Orientation—were beating the incumbent left-wing coalition.
Demokraatit, favoring a slow approach to independence from Denmark, secured 29.9 percent of the votes with all ballots counted, up from 9.1 percent in 2021. It was ahead of the opposition Naleraq party, which favors rapid independence, at 24.5 percent.
The election outcome comes as the vast island, with a population of nearly 57,000, is caught up in a geopolitical race for dominance in the Arctic: Melting ice caps are making its resources more accessible and opening new shipping routes.
Both Russia and China have reportedly intensified military activity in the area.
Amid the geopolitical challenges, Trump has vowed to make Greenland—a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark—part of the United States, saying it is vital to U.S. security interests.
GREENLANDERS SEEK BUSINESS
However, most Greenlanders reportedly rejected this idea.
“People want change … We want more business to finance our welfare,” said Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Demokraatit’s leader and a former minister of industry and minerals.
That business plan did not appear to include selling Greenland to Trump, the real-estate-mogul-turned-president who once offered to buy the island in a deal that experts say could be worth up to $77 billion.
“We don’t want independence tomorrow, we want a good foundation,” Nielsen told reporters in Nuuk. He will now hold talks with other parties to try and form a governing coalition.
The ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit party and its partner Siumut, which also seek a slow path towards independence from Denmark, won a combined 36 percent of votes, down from 66.1 percent in 2021.
“We respect the election outcome,” said Prime Minister Mute Egede of the Inuit Ataqatigiit party, adding that he would listen to any proposals in upcoming coalition talks.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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