Copenhagen, 12 March 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Greenland, the world’s largest island, looks set to undergo a significant political shift following parliamentary elections, with preliminary results showing two opposition parties emerging as the strongest forces in the Greenlandic parliament.

Under the shadow of threats by President Donald Trump to incorporate the Arctic island into the United States, the centre-right opposition party Demokraatit (Democrats) achieved 29.9% of the vote, becoming the largest force in the autonomous Danish territory's parliament in Nuuk, known as the Inatsisartut.

Naleraq (Point of Orientation), which is pushing for rapid independence from the kingdom of Denmark, garnered 24.5% the vote, according to the preliminary results.

By contrast, the two governing parties coming into Tuesday's vote, the left-wing party Inuit Ataqatigiit (Community of the People, IA) and the social democratic party Siumut (Forward), were heading for clear losses, with 21.4% and 14.7% respectively.

IA and Siumut are generally considered the strongest forces in Greenlandic politics.

Greenlandic broadcaster KNR has declared Demokraatit the winner of the election, in which just over 40,000 Greenlanders were eligible to vote.

The strongest force since the last election in 2021 had been the IA led by Prime Minister Múte B Egede. They initially governed for a year in coalition with Naleraq but, due to controversies in this coalition, they have been partnered with Siumut since 2022.

The debate on Greenland's future unleashed by Trump's declaration of interest in the island has overshadowed the electoral campaign, with politicians from both Greenland and Denmark rejecting his comments.

Trump says resource-rich Greenland is of strategic importance for US security.

Greenland officially belongs to the kingdom of Denmark but decides on most of its political matters independently. However, the island remains financially heavily dependent on Copenhagen, and foreign affairs and defence are run by the government in Copenhagen. 

Independence from Denmark has been debated for decades - a debate that has been significantly accelerated by Trump's remarks.

Most Greenlandic parties fundamentally agree that the island should eventually become independent - but they disagree on when the right time might be for that to happen.

Photo: EPA