Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede emphasised his desire to pursue independence from Denmark, its former colonial ruler, during his New Year speech, marking a significant change in the rhetoric surrounding the Arctic island's future.
Egede's speech, which comes on the heels of comments by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump expressing his wish for "ownership and control" of Greenland, also expressed a desire to strengthen Greenland's cooperation with other countries.
"It is about time that we ourselves take a step and shape our future, also with regard to who we will cooperate closely with, and who our trading partners will be," he said.
An independence movement has gained traction in Greenland in recent years in part due to revelations of misconduct by Danish authorities during the 20th century, including an involuntary birth control campaign launched in the 1960s.
Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953 but is now a self-governing territory of Denmark and in 2009 achieved the right to claim independence through a vote. In 2023, Greenland's government presented its first draft constitution.
"The history and current conditions have shown that our cooperation with the Kingdom of Denmark has not succeeded in creating full equality," Egede said.
"It is now time for our country to take the next step. Like other countries in the world, we must work to remove the obstacles to cooperation - which we can describe as the shackles of colonialism - and move forward," he said.
He added that it was up to the people of Greenland to decide on independence but did not say when a vote could be held.
While a majority of Greenland's 57,000 inhabitants support independence, there is division over the timing and potential impact on living standards.
Greenland's government has twice rejected offers by Trump to purchase the island, in 2019 and again last year, with Egede asserting that "Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale."
The speech did not mention Trump or the United States. Greenland's capital Nuuk is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen.
Despite the wealth of mineral, oil, and natural gas resources, Greenland's economy remains fragile, heavily dependent on fishing and annual grants from Denmark.
Greenland is due to hold parliamentary elections before 6 April.
- Reuters
Greenland’s leader wants independence from Denmark as Trump hovers over Arctic island
“It is now time to take the next step for our country,” Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede says in hinting at 2025 referendum.
Múte Egede has led Greenland since 2021 and hails from the pro-independence Community of the People (IA) party. |
January 3, 2025
By Seb Starcevic
The prime minister of Greenland called for independence from Denmark and removing the “shackles” of colonialism in a strident New Year’s address this week.
Greenland, the world’s largest island with a population of around 60,000, was a Danish colony until it became self-ruling with its own parliament in 1979. It remains a territory of Denmark, with Copenhagen exercising control over its foreign and defense policy.
The renewed call comes after United States President-elect Donald Trump once again suggested buying Greenland from Denmark — a proposal he made during his first term and reiterated last month, calling the U.S. acquiring the Arctic territory an “absolute necessity.”
“It is now time to take the next step for our country,” Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede said.
“Like other countries in the world, we must work to remove the obstacles to cooperation — which we can describe as the shackles of the colonial era — and move on,” he added.
Egede, who has led Greenland since 2021 and hails from the pro-independence Community of the People (IA) party, said Denmark’s relations with Greenland had not created “full equality,” and that the island deserves to represent itself on the world stage.
“Our cooperation with other countries, and our trade relations, cannot continue to take place solely through Denmark,” he said.
Under a 2009 agreement with Denmark, Greenland can declare independence only after a successful referendum — which Egede appeared to hint at holding in tandem with the island’s upcoming parliamentary election in April.
“Work has already begun on creating the framework for Greenland as an independent state,” he said. “It is necessary to take major steps … The upcoming new election period must, together with the citizens, create these new steps.
As global powers seek to expand their reach and footprint in the Arctic, mineral-rich Greenland — which hosts a U.S. military base — is coveted for its strategic value in security and trade.
Trump’s imperialist musings attracted a sharp rebuke from Egede, who declared that Greenland is “not for sale.” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in 2019 called the U.S. bid “absurd.”
Hours after Trump posted his recent remarks, Denmark announced it would boost defense spending in Greenland by at least €1.3 billion — although Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the timing was merely an “irony of fate.”
Despite its rich mineral resources, Greenland relies on Copenhagen for significant financial assistance, receiving an annual subsidy of around €500 million.
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