The center-right Democratic party has emerged victorious in Greenland’s parliamentary elections, surprising many as the polls took place in light of US President Donald Trump’s threats to assert control over the territory “one way or another”. No single party is expected to secure a majority of the 31 seats in parliament, moving coalition negotiations to the forefront in the coming days.

Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the 33-year-old leader of the Democratic party, expressed willingness to engage in talks with all parties for unity, especially considering global events. He also shared his surprise at the party’s win, attributing their success to an unexpected outcome.

With 90% of the votes tallied, the Democratic party—self-described as “social liberal” and also in favor of long-term independence—secured 29.9% of the vote, according to Greenland’s public broadcaster KNR. The Nauyaraq party, which appears set to more than double its share of the vote to 24.5%, follows closely.

Both the Democrats and the second-place Nauyaraq party support independence from Denmark but differ in their approaches to achieving this goal. Nauyaraq is more aggressive in its push for independence compared to the Democrats’ more moderate stance.

Múte Egede, the outgoing prime minister and leader of the left-green Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) party, which currently holds a 21.4% vote share, acknowledged the election result. His coalition partner and leader of the Siumut party conceded defeat.

The future government is anticipated to outline a plan for independence, a goal supported by a significant majority of Greenland’s 57,000 residents. This year’s election saw higher voter turnout than usual, possibly influenced by Trump’s interest in Greenland.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/12/greenland-election-opposition-democrat-party-wins-surprise-victory-amid-spectre-of-trump