Greenland’s center-right party pulls off upset victory as Trump seeks control

Greenland’s center-right Demokraatit party pulled off a surprise victory in the country’s parliamentary elections, taking Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede’s party, Inuit Ataqatigiit, out of power. Independence from Denmark became a focal point of the election amid President Donald Trump’s repeated talk of the U.S. taking control.

‘People want change … We want more business to finance our welfare,’ said Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Demokraatit’s leader, according to Reuters. The outlet added that Nielsen said Greenland does not ‘want independence tomorrow’ and would prefer separation from Denmark be based on a ‘good foundation.’

Four of the five main parties on the ballot, including the ones that won first and second place, Demokraatit Party and Naleraq, favor independence from Denmark, but disagree on the pace. Greenland, whose population is approximately 57,000 people, currently operates as a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. However, Trump’s renewed interest in the island sparked conversations about breaking away from the Danish crown.

Prime Minister Egede, whose party failed to maintain control, said in a Facebook post that he respects the outcome of the election and that the parties are ready for negotiations. 

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen congratulated the Demokraatit Party and said the Greenlandic future would face ‘massive pressure’ from Trump, according to the Associated Press, which cited Danish Broadcasting Corporation DR. Poulsen reportedly added that ‘the future of Greenland is based on what the Greenlandic people and government want.’

The Demokraatit Party saw a major increase in support, winning nearly 30% of the vote compared to just 9% in 2021, according to the Associated Press, which cited Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation KNR TV.

Earlier this month, Trump brought up Greenland in his address to a joint session of Congress.

‘We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and, if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America,’ Trump said, eliciting laughter from the crowd. ‘We need Greenland for national security and even international security, and we’re working with everybody involved to try and get it… One way or the other, we’re going to get it.’

In the same address, Trump vowed that the U.S. would ‘take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before.’

During a January phone call with Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Greenland must be allowed to make decisions about its own future. Both Prime Ministers Frederiksen and Egede told President Trump that ‘Greenland is not for sale,’ Axios reported at the time.

In December 2024, then-President-elect Trump tapped Ken Howery as US ambassador to Denmark. Trump said in a post on Truth Social announcing the pick that ‘the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.’

President Trump also eyed Greenland during his first term, causing friction between himself and Prime Minister Frederiksen. In 2019, after the Danish leader called the idea of the U.S. buying Greenland ‘absurd,’ President Trump abruptly canceled his trip to Denmark over the ‘nasty’ comment.