Greenland’s possible new prime minister has rejected Donald Trump’s effort to take management of the island, saying Greenlanders should be allowed to resolve their very own future because it strikes towards independence from Denmark.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, whose centre-right Democrats received a shock victory on this week’s legislative elections and now should kind a coalition authorities, pushed again on Thursday towards Trump’s repeated claims that the US will annex the island.
“We don’t wish to be People. No, we don’t wish to be Danes. We wish to be Greenlanders, and we wish our personal independence sooner or later,” Nielsen, 33, informed Sky Information. “And we wish to construct our personal nation by ourselves.”
Greenland’s outgoing prime minister, Múte Egede, stated he would convene a gathering of social gathering leaders to collectively reject Trump’s threats, warning: “Sufficient is sufficient.”
“This time we have to toughen our rejection of Trump. Individuals can not proceed to disrespect us,” Egede wrote on Fb.
Egede continues to guide Greenland whereas a brand new authorities is shaped.
“The American president has as soon as once more evoked the thought of annexing us. I completely can not settle for that,” he wrote.
“I respect the results of the election, however I think about that I’ve an obligation as interim head of presidency: I’ve subsequently requested the administration to summon the social gathering heads as quickly as potential.”
The feedback got here after Trump repeated his vow to take over the island on Thursday.
Throughout an Oval Workplace assembly with the Nato secretary normal Mark Rutte, Trump claimed that Greenland’s election had been “superb for us,” including: “The one who did the very best is an excellent individual, so far as we’re involved.”
Requested whether or not he thought the US would annex Greenland, Trump stated: “I feel it’ll occur.”
Trump stated that “Denmark’s very far-off” from Greenland and questioned whether or not that nation nonetheless had a proper to assert the world’s largest island.
“A ship landed there 200 years in the past or one thing. They usually say they’ve rights to it,” Trump stated. “I don’t know if that’s true. I don’t suppose it’s, really.”
Trump stated US management of Greenland could possibly be vital for nationwide safety causes and even steered Nato must be concerned, however Rutte demurred.
With most Greenlanders opposing Trump’s overtures, the election marketing campaign targeted extra on points reminiscent of healthcare and training than on geopolitics.
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The 31 women and men elected to parliament on Tuesday should set priorities for points reminiscent of diversifying Greenland’s financial system, constructing infrastructure and enhancing healthcare, in addition to shaping the nation’s technique for countering the US president’s “America first” agenda.
The Democrats received 29.9% of the vote by campaigning to enhance housing and academic requirements whereas delaying independence till Greenland is self-sufficient. 4 years in the past, the social gathering completed in fourth place with 9.1%.
Nuuk resident Anthon Nielsen stated the social gathering’s victory can be good for the nation.
“Most politicians need Greenland to be unbiased,” he stated. “However this social gathering who received, they don’t wish to hurry issues, so all the things should be completed proper.”
Carina Ren, head of the Arctic program at Aalborg College in Copenhagen, stated the outcomes present that Greenlanders tried to disregard Trump and concentrate on points that have been vital to them.
“The voters have been capable of drag down all of the drama, all of the alarmist speak from the surface to say: ‘Properly, that is about our on a regular basis lives, our on a regular basis issues as residents. The place are we going, how are we going to develop our society from the within.’”
Now, Demokraatit should flip its consideration to forming a governing coalition.
Naleraq, essentially the most aggressively pro-independence social gathering, completed in second place, with 24.5% of the vote. It was adopted by Inuit Ataqatigiit, which led the final authorities, at 21.4%.
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