Greenland confirmed on Wednesday that legislative elections will be held on March 11, a day after the island nation’s parliament decided to ban foreign political donations, Danish state media reported.
“We are in the middle of a serious time, a time like we have never experienced in our country,” Prime Minister Mute Egede said in a social media post.
Egede, the leader of the centre-left Inuit Ataqatigiit party who has led a coalition government since 2021, also announced his candidacy for re-election.
Earlier, the authorities decided to secure the autonomy from any external interference by considering a bill to ban foreign funding for local parties. Under the ban will be not only foreign donations, but also those made anonymously. According to the bill, “handouts” are also not allowed for the youth sections of local parties, and the aggregate private contributions were limited to 200,000 kroner ($ 28,000).
The upcoming election campaign is expected to revolve around Greenland’s quest for independence, the development of the island’s fragile economy and relations with Denmark and the US.
Denmark has ruled the island for centuries. Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953 and has since been granted broad autonomy, including the right to declare independence, although Copenhagen remains responsible for Greenland’s security and foreign policy.
Greenland wants independence, poll shows
A majority of Greenlanders would vote in favour of independence if such a referendum were held now, a recent poll by polling service Verian, commissioned by Danish newspaper Berlingske and Greenlandic daily Sermitsiaq, showed. Some 28 per cent said they would vote against independence.
The poll also showed that 45 per cent of people would not want independence if it had a negative impact on living standards, emphasising that the future path to it remains unclear.
US President Donald Trump announced his desire to acquire Greenland in December 2024 during the presidential race. He said the island is necessary for the US to ensure “national security and freedom around the world.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister Mut Egede said in his New Year’s Day speech that he wants independence from Denmark, without mentioning the US. Under the 2009 treaty, the island can only declare independence if its residents vote in favour in a referendum.
