2009 Greenlandic general election

Last updated

2009 Greenlandic general election
Flag of Greenland.svg
  2005 2 June 2009 (2009-06-02) 2013  

All 31 seats in the Inatsisartut
16 seats needed for a majority
Turnout71.29% (Decrease2.svg 3.57 pp)
PartyLeader%Seats+/–
Inuit Ataqatigiit Kuupik Kleist 44.0614+7
Siumut Hans Enoksen 26.769-1
Democrats Jens B. Frederiksen 12.804-3
Atassut Finn Karlsen 10.943-3
Kattusseqatigiit Anthon Frederiksen 3.8310
Greenland elections 2009.svg
Results by municipality
Prime Minister beforePrime Minister after
Hans Enoksen
Siumut
Kuupik Kleist
Inuit Ataqatigiit

General elections were held in Greenland on 2 June 2009. Prime Minister Hans Enoksen announced the election date on 15 April 2009, stating that he would prefer for a newly elected parliament to administer Greenland when the self-government reform took effect on 21 June 2009. [1] The reform gave more power to the Greenlandic parliament with decisions on most issues being devolved to the parliament but defence and foreign affairs remaining under the control of Denmark. [2]

Contents

Results

The pro-independence, left-wing opposition party, Inuit Ataqatigiit led by Kuupik Kleist emerged as the largest party with 43.7% of the vote. [2] [3] Kleist set a new record for most votes in a Greenlandic election with 5,461 received. This compares with Akitsinnguaq Olsen who was elected with just 112 votes. [4]

The governing Siumut led by Prime Minister Hans Enoksen received 26.5% of the vote and lost control of the government for the first time in 30 years. [2] Former Siumut leader and Prime Minister Jonathan Motzfeldt failed to be re-elected for the first time since 1971, receiving just 91 votes . [4] Enoksen stated that he would step down as party leader, a position he had held since 2002, if his colleagues wished him to. [4] Siumut was believed to have lost votes over a series of scandals, including one over expenses, and concerns over its ability to manage with greater autonomy. [3]

The newly formed Sorlaat Partiiat gained just 383 votes in the election and dissolved shortly afterwards. The party stood on a platform of huge spending reductions and opposed Greenland rejoining the EU.

2009 Inatsisartut.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Inuit Ataqatigiit 12,45744.0614+7
Siumut 7,56726.769–1
Democrats 3,62012.804–3
Atassut 3,09410.943–3
Association of Candidates 1,0843.8310
Sorlaat3831.350New
Independents700.2500
Total28,275100.00310
Valid votes28,27599.18
Invalid/blank votes2350.82
Total votes28,510100.00
Registered voters/turnout39,99071.29
Source: Election Passport, Parties & Elections

Aftermath

Siumut was considered likely to be left out of government as both the Inuit Ataqatigiit and Demokraatit parties ruled out the possibility of working with them. [4] Siumut's former coalition partner, Atassut, gained too few seats to make a new coalition powerful enough to challenge for the government. [4]

On 7 June 2009 Inuit Ataqatigiit announced that it would form a coalition with the Democrats and the Association of Candidates. [5]

Related Research Articles

The politics of Greenland, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, function in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the prime minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament Inatsisartut. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Greenland has full autonomy on most matters, except on policies and decisions affecting the region including negotiations with the devolved legislatures and the Folketing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hans Enoksen</span> Greenlandic politician (born 1956)

Hans Enoksen is a Greenlandic politician who served as the third prime minister of Greenland from 2002 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Motzfeldt</span> Greenlandic politician (1938–2010)

Jonathan Jakob Jørgen Otto Motzfeldt was a Greenlandic priest and politician. He is considered one of the leading figures in the establishment of Greenland Home Rule. Jonathan Motzfeldt was the first prime minister of Greenland. He was Greenland's prime minister from 1979 until 1991 and again from 1997 until 2002. He was Greenland's longest serving prime minister and won the most elections of any prime minister of Greenland. He is considered a centre-left politician and Greenland became a recognized country during his tenure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siumut</span> Political party in Greenland

Siumut is a political party in Greenland in the social democratic tradition. Since the establishment of home rule in 1979, it has been the dominant party in Greenland. Siumut is led by Erik Jensen, who beat the then-incumbent Prime Minister Kim Kielsen in a tight leadership contest in late 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inuit Ataqatigiit</span> Political party in Greenland

Inuit Ataqatigiit is a democratic socialist, separatist political party in Greenland that aims to make Greenland an independent state. The party, founded as a political organisation in 1976, was born out of the increased youth radicalism in Denmark during the 1970s. Traditionally in favour of a socialist economy, the party has been criticised from the left of having gradually moved towards a capitalist approach, supporting a market economy and privatisation. Inuit Ataqatigiit believes that an independent Greenland should be competitive while fighting to keep the environment clean.

The Democrats is a liberal, unionist political party in Greenland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuupik Kleist</span> Greenlandic politician (born 1958)

Jakob Edvard Kuupik Kleist is a Greenlandic politician who served as the fourth prime minister of Greenland between 2009 and 2013. A member of the Inuit Ataqatigiit party, he was the first Prime Minister not affiliated with Siumut.

Naalakkersuisut is the chief executive body and the government of Greenland since the island became self-governing in 1979. An autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is a parliamentary representative democratic territory, in which the premier leads the cabinet, and of a multi-party system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenlandic independence</span> Political movement

Greenlandic independence is a political ambition of some political parties, advocacy groups, and individuals of Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, to become an independent sovereign state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleqa Hammond</span> Greenlandic politician

Aleqa Hammond is a Greenlandic politician and former member of the Danish Folketing (parliament). Formerly the leader of the Siumut party, she became Greenland's first female prime minister after her party emerged as the largest parliamentary faction in the 2013 elections. In 2014 she stepped down as Prime Minister and leader of Siumut, following a case of misuse of public funds. She was expelled from Siumut on 23 August 2016 after yet another case of misuse of public funds and became an independent. On 31 March 2018 she announced that she would be running in the 2018 Greenlandic parliamentary election for the Siumut breakaway Nunatta Qitornai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inuit Party</span> Political party in Greenland

The Inuit Party was a separatist party in Greenland, formed by dissidents from the then-governing Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA). The party was opposed to the so-called big-scale law, and wanted a referendum on the law. Mette Lynge represented the party in the Naalakkersuisut (Government) and was minister for dwellings, nature and environment. At the 2014 Greenlandic general election the party did not win any seats in parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Greenlandic general election</span>

Early general elections were held in Greenland on 28 November 2014. They were called after Prime Minister Aleqa Hammond resigned following a spending scandal. Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit emerged as the largest parties both winning 11 of the 31 seats. A three party coalition government was formed consisting of the incumbent Siumut and Solidarity parties alongside the Democrats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naleraq</span> Political party in Greenland

Naleraq, previously known as Partii Naleraq, is a centrist-populist pro-independence political party in Greenland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atassut</span> Political party in Greenland

Atassut is a liberal-conservative and unionist political party in Greenland. Founded on 29 April 1978, Atassut is an established partner of the Liberal Party of Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Greenlandic general election</span>

General elections were held in Greenland on 24 April 2018, electing all 31 members of Parliament. The elections were required to be held no later than 26 November 2018, four years after the previous elections on 27 November 2014, but Prime Minister Kim Kielsen chose to call the elections seven months early. His Siumut party remained the largest in Parliament, but lost two seats, whilst Inuit Ataqatigiit, the second-largest party, lost three seats. The smaller Democrats and Partii Naleraq gained seats, with the newly formed Cooperation Party and Nunatta Qitornai parties both entering Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Múte Bourup Egede</span> 7th Prime Minister of Greenland

Múte Inequnaaluk Bourup Egede is a Greenlandic politician currently serving as the seventh prime minister of Greenland, a position he has held since April 2021. He has served as a member of the Inatsisartut, the parliament of Greenland, since 2015, and furthermore as chairman of the Inuit Ataqatigiit party since 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Greenlandic general election</span> 6 April 2021 election

Snap general elections were held in Greenland on 6 April 2021 alongside local elections. Inuit Ataqatigiit emerged as the largest party, winning 12 of the 31 seats in the Inatsisartut. The governing Siumut party finished second with 10 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pele Broberg</span>

Pele Broberg is a Greenlandic politician (Naleraq), entrepreneur and pilot. He became minister of foreign affairs, trade, climate and business in April 2021, but foreign affairs and climate was transferred to premier of Greenland Múte Bourup Egede in September 2021 after a controversy. Broberg was minister for finance in 2018.

Jens Napãtôᴋ', also known as Jens Napaattooq, is a Greenlandic politician. He is a member of the Inatsisartut, the parliament of Greenland, representing the Naleraq party. He was elected in 2021, made a chairman of two committees, and took a leave of absence after a video surfaced allegedly showing him threatening to attack someone in his home. He underwent treatment for alcohol, and returned to the Inatsisartut by September 2021. He was removed as chairman from his committees in April 2022. In June 2022, he was elected deputy leader of Naleraq.

References

  1. Simonsen, Mariia (15 April 2009) Landstingsvalg 2. juni 2009 Archived 16 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine (in Danish). Sermitsiaq.
  2. 1 2 3 "Opposition win Greenland election". BBC. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Pro-independence party wins Greenland poll". Agence France Presse. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Greenland wakes up to first power shift in 30 years". The Copenhagen Post . 3 June 2009. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  5. "Greenland parties agree on government coalition". Nasdaq. Archived from the original on 18 March 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2009.