🗣️“The European Union fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark.” Antonio Costa, EU President
Greenland is back in the headlines — for the fifth straight week. The independence movement is gaining traction, and Denmark, the EU, and the U.S. are all watching closely. The big question: Will Greenland vote to break away? And what happens if they do?
Two images have dominated this week’s news. First: Mette Frederiksen’s smile at the close of the European Council summit — a gentle sunrise after weeks of dark clouds etched across her brow. The European Union’s pledge resonates like a chorus echoing in an old cathedral: “We stand with you, no matter what.” Greenland’s predicament has sparked an unexpected unity among EU states, binding them in solidarity where before there might have been only polite consensus.
Then comes the second image, more of a sly grin: Kuno Fencker, newly anointed Greenlandic envoy of Trump, returned from his American trip brimming with persuasive energy. Alongside his fiancée, Aki-Mathilda Hoegh-Dam — herself a figure who has carried Greenlandic pride into the Danish Parliament — Fencker has convinced the most powerful party in Greenland, Siumut (Social Democrats), away from its patient approach to independence (“let’s take it slow”) and toward a quickened pulse (“let’s hold a referendum at once”). We spoke of this tactic in prior weeks: first, secure well-placed emissaries, then press for that referendum vote.
It’s no wonder that Greenland’s current leader, Múte B. Egede, called for parliamentary elections on March 11. Two parties dominate the political stage. Siumut, having hopped aboard the express train to independence, stands in one corner. Egede’s party, IA (Inuit Ataqatigiit — Socialists) occupies the other, still grappling with the question: Is it wiser to build a robust economic foundation first, or unshackle from Denmark now? And if IA does switch to the independence camp, then who will represent those Greenlanders hesitant to sever centuries-old ties to the Kingdom of Denmark? Their voices echo in the wings, waiting to see if they’ll be heard.
Meanwhile, Greenland’s Parliament braces for meddling forces beyond its shores. In a preemptive strike, lawmakers have banned foreign donations to parties and politicians while placing stringent limits on property ownership — only those who have lived in Greenland for at least two years can buy a piece of it. Will this be enough to keep the wolves at bay, or is another tightening of the rules just around the corner? Already, there are murmurs in Denmark hinting at a similar clampdown on foreign funds in politics, as if Greenland’s approach has awakened a cautious resolve in Copenhagen.
What remains indisputable is that Greenland’s March 11 election is about more than independence — it’s about whether Denmark, the EU, and even the U.S. will accept the results. Expect tensions to rise in the coming weeks.
🗣️“Greenlanders don’t want to be second-class Danes, but first-class Greenlanders.” Mikaela Engell, former Ombudsman in Greenland
🎨 Catch Greenlandic artist Ivínguak’ Stork Høegh’s exhibit YOU GAZE ON ME — AS I GAZE UPON YOU by Sunday, Feb 16th at Nordatlantiske Brygge (North Atlantic House). The Director of the North Atlantic House, Karin Elsbudóttir, gave our reporter Ahmet Akkoc an in-depth interview on the institute and their activities.
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