Greenland, the world’s largest island, votes on Tuesday to elect its next parliament and government.
The thinly populated Danish territory’s elections usually attract only local attention. However, this vote comes at a time when the island has exploded into geopolitical significance, with United States President Donald Trump openly — and repeatedly — declaring his intent to acquire it.
Greenland, technically a part of North America, is rich in mineral resources, located halfway between Russia and the US, and already hosts a US base.
“I think we’re going to get it. One way or the other, we’re going to get it,” Trump told the US Congress last week in remarks that have received pushback from Greenlandic leaders.
So who is going to vote in the election? Which are the main parties? What are the key issues driving voters? And what is at stake for Greenland?
Who’s voting and how does it work?
About 41,000 citizens out of Greenland’s roughly 56,000 people are eligible to vote to elect 31 members to the Inatsisartut, Greenland’s parliament.
The election follows a proportional representation system, meaning seats are distributed based on the share of votes each party receives.
Polling stations are expected to open at 9am (11: 00 GMT) and close at 8pm (22: 00 GMT) local time. Despite the country’s large and remote landscape, a high voter turnout is anticipated, approximately 70 to 75 percent, according to experts Al Jazeera spoke to.
Given the relatively small electorate, initial results are typically available within hours after polls close, with confirmed, final results usually announced the following day.
Which are the main parties and what do they stand for?
Several parties are contesting the election. While some have similar views regarding the need for economic development, each party still holds its own vision of what Greenland’s future should entail:
- Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA): The left-wing party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede, holds 11 seats in parliament. It supports Greenlandic independence and has suggested that a referendum could take place in the coming years – but not necessarily in this election cycle.
- Siumut: A long-established party which has led parliament in the past, Siumut is currently in opposition. While it also supports independence, it favours a more gradual approach, focusing more on economic development.
- Naleraq: A strongly pro-independence party that focuses on Greenlandic cultural identity and self-determination, calling for full sovereignty.
- Demokraatit: A centre-right party that prioritises economic growth, education and healthcare. It also advocates for independence but, like some other parties, stresses the need for economic stability as a prerequisite.
- Atassut: A liberal-conservative party that supports maintaining strong ties with Denmark. It believes the current setup, with Greenland enjoying some autonomy under Denmark, can support the island’s economic growth.
Key issues
Independence
It remains the most significant and overarching theme in this election, with some parties advocating for greater self-governance, and others calling for a more gradual transition.
Trump has repeatedly called for the island’s acquisition, and last week told US Congress that doing so would improve national and international security.
His comments were quickly refuted by Prime Minister Egede, who proclaimed: “Greenland is ours.”
Some experts believe Trump’s remarks have reignited discussions around independence from Denmark , which pays annual subsidies to the island.
“There remains a spectrum of views on how quickly independence could or should happen,” Jennifer Spence, director of the Arctic Initiative at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, told Al Jazeera.
“But I think, overall, it [Trump’s talk of taking over the island] has galvanised Greenlanders in their desire to communicate to the world that they want and will ultimately achieve full independence,” she said.
Others suggest that the threat of a US takeover has actually reinforced Greenland’s ties with Copenhagen — and their mutual dependence.
Richard Powell, professor of Arctic studies at the University of Cambridge, said while independence was still a “broadly popular long-term goal”, Trump’s latest intervention has “consolidated Greenland’s future within the Kingdom of Denmark, at least for the next couple of decades”.
Ultimately, though, “the Greenland government has the power to call an independence referendum if it wishes”, said Powell. “It isn’t up to Denmark or the US.”
Ebbe Volquardsen, a cultural history professor at the University of Greenland, said a majority of Greenlanders have for years supported full independence.
“This is not a new development,” Volquardsen told Al Jazeera. “What is new, however, is the growing international attention on Greenland” since Trump began to show interest in bringing the island under US control.
With the island’s geopolitical value now “undeniably clear”, Greenland’s negotiating position has been strengthened in its dialogue with Denmark for gaining greater autonomy, said Volquardsen.
The debate is not so much about wheth