This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Greenland |
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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 takes 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]
Greenland is an autonomous constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for more than a millennium. The majority of its residents are Inuit, whose ancestors began migrating from the Canadian mainland in the 13th century, gradually settling across the island.
The Prime Minister of Greenland, officially referred to as the Premier, is the head of the Government of Greenland, the autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. The incumbent Prime Minister is Kim Kielsen of the Siumut party. The Prime Minister is usually leader of the majority party in the Parliament of Greenland. Jonathan Motzfeldt became Prime Minister after home rule was granted to Greenland in 1979.
Hans Enoksen is a Greenlandic politician who served as the third Prime Minister of Greenland from 2002 to 2009.
On 7 June 2009, Community of the People announced that it would form a coalition with the Democrats and the Independents. [3]
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
---|---|---|---|---|
Inuit Ataqatigiit | 12,457 | 44.06 | 14 | |
Siumut | 7,567 | 26.76 | 9 | |
Democrats | 3,620 | 12.80 | 4 | |
Atassut | 3,094 | 10.94 | 3 | |
Association of Candidates | 1,084 | 3.83 | 1 | |
Sorlaat | 383 | 1.35 | 0 | New |
Independents | 70 | 0.25 | 0 | |
Invalid/blank votes | 235 | – | – | – |
Total | 28,510 | 100 | 31 | 0 |
Registered voters/turnout | 39,990 | 71.29 | – | – |
Source: Election Passport, Parties & Elections |
The pro-independence, left-wing opposition party, Inuit Ataqatigiit (Greenlandic for: Community of the People), led by Kuupik Kleist, won the election, getting 43.7% of the votes. [2] [4] The governing Siumut Party (Greenlandic for Forward) led by Prime Minister Hans Enoksen took 26.5% of the vote and lost control of the government for the first time in 30 years. [2]
Inuit Ataqatigiit is a democratic socialist and separatist political party in Greenland striving to make Greenland an independent state. The party, founded in 1976, was born out of the increased youth radicalism in Denmark during the 1970s. Formerly in favour of a socialist economy the party has gradually moved towards a more pragmatic approach supporting a market economy and privatisation. It believes that an independent Greenland should be competitive.
Greenlandic is an Eskimo–Aleut language spoken by about 56,000 Greenlandic Inuit in Greenland. It is closely related to the Inuit languages in Canada such as Inuktitut. The main variety, Kalaallisut or West Greenlandic, has been the official language of the Greenlandic autonomous territory since June 2009; this is a move by the Naalakkersuisut to strengthen the language in its competition with the colonial language, Danish. The second variety is Tunumiit oraasiat or East Greenlandic. The Thule Inuit of Greenland, Inuktun or Polar Eskimo, is a recent arrival and a dialect of Inuktitut.
Jakob Edvard Kuupik Kleist is a Greenlandic politician who served as the fifth 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.
Siumut is likely to be left out of government as both the Inuit Ataqatigiit and Demokraatit parties have ruled out the possibility of working with Siumut. [5] Siumut's former coalition partner, Atassut, gained too few seats to make a new coalition powerful enough to challenge for the government. [5]
A particular set-back for Siumut was the failure to re-elect Jonathan Motzfeldt, a familiar figure in Greenlandic politics having been the state's first and third prime minister who received just 91 votes and failed to be re-elected for the first time since 1971. [5] Enoksen has stated that he would step down as party leader, a position he has held since 2002, if his colleagues wish him to. [5] Siumut is believed to have lost votes over a recent series of scandals, including one over expenses, and concerns over its ability to manage with greater autonomy. [4]
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 and third Prime Minister of Greenland. He was Greenland's prime minister from 1979 until 1991 and again from 1997 until 2002. He is Greenland's longest serving prime minister and has won the most elections of any prime minister of Greenland.
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. [5] Greenland has a population of 57,600 people. [6]
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 reducions and opposed Greenland rejoining the EU.
The politics of Greenland, a "constituent country" of 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.
Siumut is a social-democratic political party in Greenland. The party was an observer affiliate of the Socialist International. Siumut is led by the current Greenlandic Premier Kim Kielsen. Until September 2014 it was led by Aleqa Hammond, who was the first woman to lead the party.
The Inatsisartut, also known as the Parliament of Greenland in English, is the unicameral parliament of Greenland, a autonomous country in the Danish realm. Established in 1979, it meets in Inatsisartut, on the islet of Nuuk Center in central Nuuk.
The Democrats is a liberal and unionist political party in Greenland.
The Naalakkersuisut is the government of Greenland, a "constituent country" of the Kingdom of Denmark, takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic country, 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.
The Labour Party was a short-lived leftist political party in Greenland. The party was founded in early 1979 as the political wing of the Sulinermik Inuussutissarsiuteqartut Kattuffiat (SIK) trade union centre. SIK had previously supported Siumut, but that cooperation had been terminated in the fall of 1978.
Greenlandic independence is a political ambition of some political parties, advocacy groups, and individuals of Greenland, an autonomous country of the Kingdom of Denmark, to become an independent sovereign state.
General elections were held in Greenland on 12 March 2013. The opposition Siumut party emerged as the largest in Parliament, winning 14 of the 31 seats. On 26 March Siumut leader Aleqa Hammond became Greenland's first female Prime Minister.
Aleqa Hammond is a Greenlandic politician and 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 is running in the 2018 Greenlandic parliamentary election for the Siumut breakaway Nunatta Qitornai.
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.
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.
Partii Naleraq is a centrist-populist 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.
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.
The Third Cabinet of Kim Kielsen is the incumbent Government of Greenland, in office since 27 October 2016. It is a coalition majority government consisting of Siumut, Inuit Ataqatigiit and Partii Naleraq.