Greenland has just completed its most significant election, coming days after Donald Trump failed to rule out sending US troops to claim the island.
The world’s largest island is a self-governing territory of Denmark, and this vote marks another step towards independence — if not towards becoming part of America.
US President Trump has frequently expressed his desire to acquire the land and remains undeterred by Copenhagen rejecting his advances to buy it.
“We will continue to keep you safe, as we have since World War II,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday.
“We are ready to invest billions of dollars to create new jobs and make you rich.”
His comments led to Tuesday’s election attracting unprecedented interest on both sides of the Atlantic.
Who won Greenland’s 2025 election?
In a surprising result, the centre-right Demokraatit Party won the most votes.
Both Demokraatit ( the Democrats) and the second-place Naleraq, or Point of Orientation, favour Greenland's independence from Denmark but differ on the pace of change.
Naleraq favours a more aggressive approach, but the Demokraatit wants a gradual transition.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen’s party tripled its share of the seats to win the election, a major shock since they were not considered a key player.
Demokraatit won 10 of the 31 seats, Naleraq secured eight, and Inuit Ataqatigiit, the party of former Prime Minister Múte B Egede, won seven.
The result means that no party has overall control and coalition talks are now set to begin.
“The Democrats are open to talks with all parties and are seeking unity. Especially with what is going on in the world,” said Mr Nielsen.
I promise not to do this to Greenland! pic.twitter.com/03DdyVU6HA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 20, 2019
Greenland factfile
- How many people live in Greenland? The territory has a population of 57,000.
- Who governs Greenland? Denmark has ruled Greenland as a colony since 1953 and still controls its foreign and security policy. Like the Faroe Islands, Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The island has been on a path towards independence since at least 2009, and the 31 lawmakers elected will shape the island's future as it debates whether the time has come to declare independence. Four of the five main parties in the race sought independence but disagreed on when and how.
- How large is Greenland? Greenland has an area of approximately 2,166,000 square kilometers — making it around nine times larger than the UK and five times larger than Germany. Only around 0.5 per cent of the island is inhabited because a huge ice sheet covers 80 per cent of the landmass.
- What is the capital of Greenland? The capital is Nuuk, which is closer to New York than Copenhagen.
- Why does Donald Trump want Greenland? As well as being a strategic land territory, the island boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth.
What does Greelance’s 2025 election result mean for Donald Trump and Denmark?
The result does not signify any progress toward unification. A recent poll indicated that 85 per cent of Greenlanders do not want to become part of the US. The poll found that half of the respondents view Trump’s interest as a threat.
Outgoing prime minister Mr Egede said: “We deserve to be treated with respect, and I don’t think the US president has done that recently since he took office.”
“I think that the recent things the American president has been doing means that people don’t want to get as close to (the US) as they might have wanted in the past,” he added.
Siumut party member Lars Jorgen Kleist made his feelings clear by wearing a Maga hat and an American scarf while voting, but his party lost six seats and finished fourth.
Trump has not commented on the result, which will have more immediate ramifications for Denmark.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the election as "a joyful day and a celebration of democracy" and congratulated Demokraatit.
Whether independence is sought immediately will depend on how the coalition is formed.
"What approach to independence will win the day will ultimately depend on if Demokraatit decides to form a coalition government, and if so, with which party," said Dwayne Menezes, managing director of the Polar Research and Policy Initiative.
