It was a result that nobody seemed to have anticipated. Not even Jens Frederik Nielsen, leader of the center-right Demokraatit party and likely next prime minister of Greenland, whose party won the parliamentary elections that were held on the island of 56,500 inhabitants on Tuesday, March 11. Coming out on top with 29.9% of the vote, compared with 9.1% in the last election, in 2021, his party, which describes itself as social-liberal, recorded its best score since its creation, in 2002. It ranked ahead of the nationalist Naleraq party, which, for its part, had made a breakthrough, garnering 24.5% of the vote, compared with the 12% it received four years ago. The election had been billed as crucial for the territory's future, as it has become coveted by US President Donald Trump, who, on March 4, repeated before Congress that the US would "get" Greenland "one way or another."
For the left-wing environmentalist party Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA, "People's Community"), whose leader, Mute Bourup Egede, had headed the territory's government since 2021, it was a bitter failure: While IA had obtained 36.6% of the vote in the last elections, it only managed to receive 21.4% this time, and came third. Its coalition partner, the social-democratic Siumut party, came fourth, halving its former score to garner just 14.7% of the vote.
Nielsen, 33, who had briefly served as labor and mineral resources minister between 2020 and 2021, said he was ready to negotiate with all of the other parties, highlighting the geopolitical context: "There are a lot of important things happening globally, and it's also important that we speak with one voice. A common voice."
While Demokraatit, like five of the parties that ran in the elections, has set independence for the autonomous Danish territory as a goal, it was not one of its short-term priorities: "When it comes to creating a state, we have to build the foundations first. We're not going to build the house starting from the chimney," said Nielsen. "For us, the most important thing is to ensure a sustainable economy before talking about independence," he added, announcing that he would make this the starting point for the upcoming talks on forming a government.
A coalition with Naleraq is, therefore, likely to be complicated: The nationalist party has campaigned for the activation of paragraph 21 of the country's 2009 autonomy law, in order to immediately open negotiations with Copenhagen over their separation. As for relations with the US, Demokraatit advocates a "peaceful approach," while Naleraq instead sees opportunities for closer cooperation with the Americans, even if its leader, Pele Broberg, said, on the eve of the election, that Trump could not be trusted.
The American president posted a message on his Truth Social network, on Monday evening, which was seen by many on the island as an attempt to interfere in the elections. In it, he promised Greenlanders that he would "continue to KEEP YOU SAFE," as the US has "done since World War II," and said his country was "ready to INVEST BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to create new jobs and MAKE YOU RICH."
In a report published on February 28, the Danish intelligence service (PET) had warned of attempts by foreign countries to influence Greenland's elections. The report cited Russia, but also the US, warning against "the dissemination of false information, particularly by American political leaders, thought leaders and influencers."
The voting took place in a festive atmosphere in Nuuk, on Tuesday, under radiant sunshine. As soon as Godthabhallen, the sports hall of the Greenland handball team, opened up as the capital's only polling station, a long queue formed in the street outside. Turnout was up, reaching 70.9% (compared with 65.9% in 2021).
According to a survey carried out at the beginning of March, which was published by the local newspaper Sermitsiaq, health, education and social protection topped the list of voters' concerns. On Tuesday, they rejected the outgoing coalition government, accusing it of not having done enough to improve the quality of public services.
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.