With the looming spectre of Trump, Greenland chooses unity

On 11 March, Demokraatit, a party formerly in opposition, won the highest number of votes in the national general election in Greenland, but not enough to form a government in its own right. It had 45 days from the day of the election to form a new coalition. The chairman of Demokraatit, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, was clear from the outset that he wished to establish as broad a coalition as possible in the face of the pressure Greenland was under from the US. Negotiations were in full swing for two weeks, and it emerged on Thursday that four of the five parties – all, except Naleraq – have come together to form a coalition. The coalition agreement is to be signed at 11 am Greenland time on 28 March. The four parties have around 75 per cent (23 of 31) of the seats combined in the Parliament of Greenland (Inatsisartut). The coalition agreement could not have come at a better time as it will signal to the Vances the unity forged in defiance of Trump’s aggressive rhetoric and their ill-timed visit.