Greenlanders are preparing to participate in their country’s parliamentary election on Tuesday. The upcoming vote is expected to be significant not due to major changes within the nation but because of the geopolitical implications it carries.
Although the ballot does not directly address independence from Denmark, the election results will indicate Greenland’s stance on potentially moving away from Copenhagen and how to handle perceived threats from President Donald Trump.
Previously, parliamentary elections in Greenland, which is home to fewer than 60,000 people, have garnered little attention globally for their limited impact on international affairs.
Anthon Frederiksen, from the Naleraq Party, hangs campaign posters before the general election on March 10, 2025, in Ilulissat, Greenland. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“We are ready to invest billions of dollars to create new jobs and make you rich – And, if you so choose, we welcome you to be a part of the Greatest Nation anywhere in the World, the United States of America,” he added.
Trump drew rebuke in some quarters following his address to Congress, where his tone on Greenland was softer than previous remarks, but he concluded by saying, “One way or the other, we’re going to get it.”
According to a January poll, some 85% of Greenlanders oppose Trump’s push to make Greenland a part of the U.S., including Prime Minister Mute Egede, who has been not only a huge proponent of independence from Denmark, but who has also been staunchly opposed to Trump’s interest in Greenland.
Egede’s Inuit Ataqatigiit party, which currently holds 11 seats, is expected to pick up an even greater majority following the Tuesday election.
Anthon Frederiksen delivers campaign posters before the general election on March 10, 2025, in Ilulissat, Greenland. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Egede, who has repeatedly told the U.S. president that Greenland is “not for sale,” on Monday said Trump’s unpredictability was sowing international chaos.
“The things that are happening in the world right now worry me quite a lot,” Egede told Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). “There is a world order that is faltering on many fronts, and perhaps a president in the United States who is very unpredictable in a way that makes people feel insecure.”
