Greenland’s likely new prime minister wasted no time rejecting US President Donald Trump’s push to take control of the island, delivering a blunt message: “We don’t want to be Americans”. Jens Frederik Nielsen’s Demokraatit party secured a shock victory in Tuesday’s election, beating out the left-leaning parties that led the last government. While Mr Trump’s designs on Greenland loomed in the background, the campaign largely focused on domestic issues like healthcare and education.
However, on Wednesday, Mr Nielsen hit back at Mr Trump, who last week told Congress that the US needed Greenland for its security and would get it “one way or the other”.
He told Sky News: “We don’t want to be Americans. No, we don’t want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders. And we want our own independence in the future.”
Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, has long been moving towards independence, with Copenhagen recognising its right to self-determination in 2009. Four of the five major parties in the election backed independence, though they differed on how and when to achieve it.
Greenland, with a population of 56,000, mostly of Inuit descent, has drawn growing interest since President Trump reignited US ambitions for the resource-rich territory after returning to the White House in January.
Greenland holds vast reserves of rare-earth minerals vital to modern technology, and its location across key North Atlantic routes makes it strategically significant. The US already operates Pituffik Space Base there, supporting missile warning and space surveillance.
But Greenlanders had other priorities. The 31 lawmakers elected on Tuesday must now focus on strengthening the economy, improving infrastructure, and countering Mr Trump’s “America First” policies.
Demokraatit won nearly 30% of the vote by pledging to invest in housing and education while delaying independence until Greenland can sustain itself. Four years ago, the party finished fourth with just 9%.
Nuuk resident Anthon Nielsen – no relation to the probable new PM – welcomed the result.
He said: “Most politicians want Greenland to be independent. But this party who won, they don’t want to hurry things, so everything must be done right.”
Demokraatit must now form a governing coalition. Naleraq, the most aggressively pro-independence party, finished second with 24.5%, followed by Inuit Ataqatigiit at 21.4%.
Dwayne Menezes, managing director of the Polar Research and Policy Initiative, said: “What approach to independence will win depends on who Demokraatit partners with.
Mr Nielsen, caught off guard by his party’s gains, was seen beaming and applauding at a post-election party. He later confirmed Demokraatit would open talks with all parties on Greenland’s future direction.
Denmark’s Defence Minister, Mr Troels Lund Poulsen, congratulated Demokraatit but warned that Mr Trump’s pressure campaign would not go away.
“It’s not the case that you can just take part of the Danish Realm,” he told Danish broadcaster DR. “The future of Greenland is based on what the Greenlandic people and government want.”
Outgoing Prime Minister Mr Mute Bourup Egede, who called early elections citing the country’s “serious time,” thanked voters and said negotiations to form a new government would now begin.
