An anthropologist and researcher at the elite social sciences university Sciences Po's Center for International Studies (CERI), Pia Bailleul works on the subject of minerals in Greenland. She explains in an interview how the mining issue is linked to the Greenlandic state's establishment and its process of seeking independence from Denmark.
Have Donald Trump's statements come as a shock to Greenland?
The idea of buying Greenland has not been taken seriously by Greenlanders. They have seen it as a sign of contempt, as Trump doesn't seem to consider them to be a nation capable of self-determination. Yet this incident has put Greenlanders on the map of global energy transition needs, which has not displeased them. It has made them feel like a rich country, at the center of the new geostrategic game. Indeed, at a press conference, Greenland's prime minister, Mute Egede, made it clear that he intends to capitalize on Trump's interest in the country's natural resources in the geopolitical arena.
Are all Greenlanders in favor of developing the mining industry?
There is a very broad consensus on this among the population, as it can be a way to solve problems of poverty and unemployment, and offers prospects for young people – but also to prepare for independence. American interest in natural resources has, therefore, been seen as a good omen, provided that the country's legal safeguards are respected.
Some 250 exploration companies are already operating in Greenland. What more do the country's leaders expect from the Americans?
These companies only perform exploration: They each have just one office and a few geologists. In fact, there is only one mine in operation today, an intermittent gold mine at Nalunaq, and only one project that is seriously underway, at Qaqortorsuaq, to extract anorthosite, which is used to make mineral wool for insulation. Greenland is still considered a "frontier zone," as it is known in industry jargon: A territory that is rich in minerals, but not yet developed. The economic and fiscal effects of this activity are, therefore, still very small. To change scale, mines will need to be opened. And, to do that, attract foreign capital. [Greenlanders] will therefore need to build relationships of trust with the countries from which the capital will come.
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