On Tuesday, the residents of Greenland voted in an election that brought the promise of US President Donald Trump into international spotlight to take control of the mineral-rich island and to start a debate about his independence.
Since taking office in January, Trump has sworn to make Greenland-a semi-autonomic territory of the United States, and explains that it is of crucial importance for the US security interests. Only last week he told the US Congress: “So or the other way we will get it.”
The huge island with only 57,000 inhabitants was involved in a geopolitical race for dominance in the Arctic, in which the Schmelzeisen make their resources more accessible and open new shipping routes. Both Russia and China intensified military activity in the region.
Grenland has been a former Danish colony and a territory since 1953. In 1979 she won autonomy when his first parliament was formed, but Copenhagen still controls external affairs, defense and monetary policy and delivers less than $ 1 billion a year for a year.
In 2009, the right to explain full independence by a referendum, although this would not fall off without Denmark’s economic support.
The coordination in the parliamentary elections began on Tuesday morning with 72 polling stations on the Arctic island, on which 40,500 people can be coordinated. Unofficial election results should be available on Tuesday shortly after the surveys at 10 p.m. GMT. However, they are not certified for weeks because the election newspapers can find the remote settlements by boat, plane and helicopter to the capital.
“I feel very excited. I hope that people will vote with their common sense and without greed,” said Liv Aurora, a candidate of the governing Inuit Ataqatigiit Party, in a polling station in the capital Nuuk.
“I hope to do something and make Greenland strong and independent.”
Independence question ‘give up steroids’
Trump’s loud interest shaken the status quo and – together with the growing pride of the indigenous people in their Greenland Inuit culture – put the elections into independence and the center of the elections.
“The question of independence was asked by Trump on steroids,” said Masaana Eggede, editor of the local newspaper -Permitsiaq. “It has put a lid for everyday problems.”
In the final debate about the state broadcaster of Greenland on Monday, the leaders of the five parties unanimously stated not to trust Trump in parliament.
“He tries to influence us. I can understand whether the citizens feel insecure,” said Erik Jensen, head of the government coalition partner.
Jess Berthelsen, the leader of the trade union sik, said Trump’s threats had prompted him to run for the first time in a general election.
“Three months ago we woke up to a completely different world, we don’t know where we are,” he told France 24 broadcasters before the elections. “A country that was our ally … Suddenly it said it could take our country by force. It is worrying,” said Berthelsen, who is running as a candidate for the Siutut party.
No surveys or exit surveys are expected. A survey in January indicates that the majority of the residents of Greenland support independence, but divided them into time.
According to Julie Rademacher, a advisor and former advisor to the Greenland government, the election campaign focused on anger and frustration, which aimed at historical misconduct by the former colonial Herrscher Denmark. “But I think the fear of the United States’s imperialist approach has recently been greater than the trouble towards Denmark,” said Rademacher.
Reuters spoke to more than a dozen Grön lasers in Nuuk, all of whom said that they preferred independence – although many were concerned that a quick transition could damage the economy and to eliminate Nordic welfare services such as universal health care and free school.
“We don’t want to be part of the United States for obvious reasons: healthcare and Trump,” said Tuuta Lynge-Larsen, an employee of bank employees and nuuk residents and added that this election is particularly important.
The island has considerable natural resources, including critical minerals such as rare earths in high-tech industries that range from electric vehicles to rocket systems.
However, only just just only just just just just only just only just only to just only for environmental concerns, storms and the almost complete control of the China sector, which made companies difficult elsewhere to achieve profit or to secure buyers.
Trump tired the attitude
Trump initially refused to exclude military violence that alerted many Greenlanders, although he later miles and said that he would respect the will of the locals and “were ready to invest billions of dollars” if they were joined by the USA
Mikkel rank Olesen, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, said in his assessment that Trump’s adapted advance was not the support of GRÖN lasers.
“At the moment he seems to concentrate pretty much to convince the Greenlanders of actively in the USA, but this project and mind to win … It doesn’t really work,” he told BBC News.
The Prime Minister of Greenland, silent Eggede, emphasized that the island is not for sale and is committed to ensuring that a broad coalition government contradicts the external pressure. In a Danish broadcaster Dr. He dismissed Trump’s offer as disrespectful and expressed the willingness to work with other countries instead.
Denmark’s prime minister said that Greenland was not for sale, but has made it clear that it is due to the locals to decide their future.
All six most important political parties support independence, but differ in how and when this could be achieved.
