Greenland has voted for a complete overhaul of the its government in a shock result in which the centre-right Democrat party more than tripled its seats after a dramatic election campaign fought against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s threats to acquire the Arctic island.
Tuesday’s election, in which the Democrats replaced Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA), the party of the former prime minister Múte B Egede, as the biggest party in Inatsisartut, the Greenlandic parliament, also led to a doubling of seats for Naleraq – the party most open to US collaboration and which supports a snap vote on independence – making them the second biggest party.
Both the Democrats and the second-place party, Naleraq, favour independence from Denmark, but they differ on the pace of change. Naleraq is the most aggressively pro-independence, while the Democrats favour a more moderate pace.
IA lost almost half its seats – going from 12 to seven – making it the third biggest party. With no party having won a majority of the 31 seats, leaders will next head into coalition talks to negotiate the formation of the next government.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the leader of the Democrats, which describe themselves as “social liberal” and have called for independence but in the longer term, said: “We didn’t expect the election to have this outcome; we’re very happy.”
The 33-year-old former badminton champion said: “The Democrats are open to talks with all parties and are seeking unity. Especially with what is going on in the world.”
With 90% of the vote counted, the Democrats held a 29.9% share of the vote, an insurmountable lead, Greenland’s public broadcaster KNR reported. Naleraq’s share of the vote stood at 24.5%.
The Naleraq leader, Pele Broberg, said this election day, “will be remembered” and congratulated Nielsen.
Thanking voters, he said: “We will work with the people of the country to honour the power they have given us. Without exception, thank you all for the day.”
Egede, who on Tuesday said it had been a campaign “burdened by geopolitical tensions”, said: “We respect the election. I’m so glad so many people came out to vote.”
The party stands at a 21.4% vote share. The leader of the Siumut party, IA’s coalition partner, conceded defeat.
The future government is expected to map out a timeline for independence, which is backed by a large majority of Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants.
Greenland’s longstanding independence movement has gained significant traction in recent years after a series of scandals highlighting Denmark’s racist treatment of Greenlanders – including the IUD scandal, in which up to 4,500 women and girls were allegedly fitted with contraception without their knowledge, and “parenting competency” tests that have separated many Inuit children from their parents.
Amid worldwide attention – largely spurred by Trump, who last week told Congress he would acquire Greenland “one way or the other” and has promised to make Greenlanders rich – turnout in Tuesday’s election was higher than usual, election officials said.
The election was also being closely watched in Denmark, which ruled Greenland as a colony until 1953 and continues to control its foreign and security policy. Greenland, along with the Faroe Islands, is part of the kingdom of Denmark.
“This is a result that will change Greenlandic politics, understood in the sense that there will be a new government now,” said the Danish minister of defence, Troels Lund Poulsen.
The future Greenlandic government will face huge pressure from the US president, he said.
“It is not the case that you can just take a part of the Commonwealth, but the future of Greenland is based on what the Greenlandic population and government want. Since the Greenlandic government has not been formed yet, I don’t think you can say much about it.”
