All six parties on the ballot want independence from Denmark but differ on how and when.
Demokraatit, Greenland’s pro-business, center-right opposition party, secured the most votes in the parliamentary election on March 11, a surprise result in a closely watched race held against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to take control of the autonomous territory.
On the ballot were six political parties, all of which supported independence from Denmark, though they differed on how and when it could be achieved.
With no party securing an absolute majority, negotiations will be needed in the coming days to form a coalition government.
Demokraatit, which favors a gradual approach to independence, won 29.9 percent of the vote, official results show.
Naleraq, which favors independence at a faster pace, won 24.5 percent of the votes. The incumbent ruling party Inuit Ataqatigiit and its coalition partner Siumut secured 21.4 percent and 14.7 percent of the votes, respectively.
The liberal Atassut and the newly formed Qulleq won 7.3 percent and 1.1 percent of the votes, respectively.
Inuit Ataqatigiit had been expected to win the contest, followed by Siumut. Both parties have dominated Greenland’s politics in recent years.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede, who announced the snap elections last month, said in a Facebook post that his party respected the outcome of the election and is “looking forward to hearing what the parties will bring to the negotiations” on forming a coalition government.
Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark with a population of 56,000, straddles strategic air and sea routes in the North Atlantic, and plays a key role in monitoring security in the North Pole region.
It is also home to rich deposits of rare earth minerals used to make everything from phones to renewable energy technology.
Greenland’s election took place against the backdrop of Trump’s stated plans for the United States to take control of the Arctic island, which is home to a large U.S. military base. Trump has emphasized Greenland’s strategic importance to national security as Russia and China increase military activity in the region.
“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 in his March 6 joint address to Congress. “I think we’re going to get it, one way or the other.”
