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Greenland voters back contrasting approaches to independence in Danish election

By Elías Thorsson March 25, 2026
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Naaja Nathanielsen, a serving minister in Greenland’s government and Qarsoq Høegh-Dam, a first-time MP from Naleraq, have been elected to represent Greenland in Denmark’s parliament. (Reuters/personal)

Denmark’s 2026 general election has produced a closely divided Folketing, where 175 MPs are elected in Denmark proper and a further four seats are allocated to the North Atlantic parts of the Kingdom: two from Greenland and two from the Faroe Islands. In a tight parliament, those four mandates can influence who is able to form a government.

In Greenland, the election also marked a break with recent trends. 52.3 percent of voters turned out, up from 47.8 percent in 2022, with 21,428 votes cast. It is the highest turnout in 15 years. The increase came during a campaign shaped by heightened geopolitical attention on Greenland, including statements from Donald Trump about its strategic importance.

Greenland’s two seats will now be held by Naaja Nathanielsen and Qarsoq Høegh-Dam, who arrive in Copenhagen from different political positions.

Naaja Nathanielsen: a minister with a record on resources and social policy

Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister for industry, raw materials, mining, energy, law enforcement and equality, addresses MPs at a meeting in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) room, in the Houses of Parliament, Westminster. (PA via Reuters)

Naaja Nathanielsen, born in 1975, enters the Danish parliament as a senior figure from Greenland’s government. A leading member of Inuit Ataqatigiit, she has been part of the governing coalition in Nuuk.

Before the election, she served as Minister for Business, Trade, Mineral Resources, Justice and Gender Equality. In that role, she was closely involved in shaping Greenland’s approach to mining and natural resources.

    She was instrumental in the political process that led to Greenland’s decision to ban uranium mining, a major policy shift that placed environmental and political considerations at the centre of resource development.

    Her background is in journalism and communications and she has been a prominent voice in public debate. She has identified as a feminist and has argued that political power structures are shaped by patriarchy. She has also been vocal in her fight against violence against women in Greenland.

    At the same time, she has taken a nuanced position on identity and independence. While recognising similarities across Inuit societies, she has argued that a single shared worldview cannot be assumed and has cautioned against simplifying the debate on self-determination.

    Her move to Copenhagen follows several years in executive office and brings direct government experience into the Danish parliament.

    Qarsoq Høegh-Dam: from Inatsisartut withdrawal to Folketing seat

    Qarsoq Høegh-Dam, born in 1991, enters the Folketing for the first time as a representative of Naleraq.

    He succeeds his sister, Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam, the outgoing MP and does not previously have experience in Denmark’s national parliament.

    His earlier political career was shaped by events following the 2021 Greenlandic parliamentary election. Running for Siumut, he received 796 personal votes, the fourth highest in the party.

    After the election, it emerged that he had previously been convicted in a case concerning possession of hash. In 2019, Greenland’s High Court found him guilty of unlawful possession of 49 grams of hash and imposed a fine, while not finding evidence of intent to sell.

    Høegh-Dam stated that, given the case, he did not consider himself fit to take up his seat. He withdrew from Inatsisartut, Greenland’s parliament, before members were formally approved and his seat passed to another candidate.

    Naleraq, the party he now represents, is not part of Greenland’s governing coalition and differs from governing parties such as Inuit Ataqatigiit in its approach to independence. It advocates a more clearly defined and faster path toward independence from Denmark and places strong emphasis on sovereignty.

    Two MPs from different political positions

    Nathanielsen and Høegh-Dam enter the Danish parliament from different starting points. One leaves a senior ministerial role in Greenland’s government. The other represents a party outside the governing coalition and returns to elected office after an earlier withdrawal from parliament.

    Their election comes alongside increased voter turnout and heightened international tension around Greenland, which will potentially shape their time in Copenhagen.

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