Ice, alcoholism and lots of ore: Greenland votes despite Trump

The largest island in the world is part of the state of Denmark, but enjoys wide autonomy. Only foreign policy, security and finance Grenland still shares with Danish, but even with peculiarities, he writes Deutsche says.

Greenland decided back in 1985 that it did not want to be a member of the European Economic Community, or the European Union, like Denmark.

Previously, hardly anyone in the world was interested in the results of the regional elections where around sixty thousand inhabitants of Greenland elect 31 representatives of Inatsisartut, the local parliament.

But, before the new elections on Tuesday (March 11), interest is huge, also because of the territorial claims of American President Trump to "get" Greenland as a territory of the United States.

Militarily and strategically, Greenland has long been more than just an icy wasteland near the North Pole.

Across its territory is the shortest distance between the USA and today's Russia, so back in the 1950s, Denmark, as a member of NATO, allowed the USA to establish the Tule air base in the northwest of Greenland - today it is called Pitufik Space Base and is used for electronic reconnaissance and early detection of possible Soviet missiles aimed at the United States.

From oil to uranium

Greenland also became interesting because of its mineral wealth. Above all, in the south, it is assumed that there is oil and natural gas, but also metals such as gold, uranium or zinc.

And in his first term, Trump offered Denmark to "buy" Greenland - which Copenhagen flatly refused.

Not unlike the Russian president, Trump has no particular regard for national borders. It is not only about the "return" of jurisdiction over the Panama Canal or his ideas about what could be done with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, but there are also claims against Canada - and especially against Greenland.

Even before he got back to the White House, Trump sent his son Donald Jr. on his plane to Greenland on an alleged "tourist trip."

At the beginning of March, Trump told the citizens of Greenland before the US Congress that he "supports their right to determine their own future", but shortly afterwards he added: "I think we will get Greenland." One way or another, we're going to get him."

The citizens of Greenland have a different opinion. Even after the provocative "excursion" of the American president's son, a public opinion survey was published, according to which only six percent of Greenlanders can imagine joining the United States, while 85 percent are against it.

A much more pronounced opinion is that Greenland – more precisely, Kalaallit Nunaat, because the name "Green Land" was given to the island by foreigners, the Vikings – should become a fully sovereign state.

Foreign influencers don't have much of a chance

But in the quest for independence, the country's mineral wealth is a key factor. Currently, about a third of Greenland's budget is filled with money from Denmark, because Greenland is, by modern standards, extremely underdeveloped.

There are almost no roads, because they cannot even be built over the ice, and a large part of Greenland cannot even be reached by boat during the long winter months.

Many young residents do not see any perspective, so if not leaving, then alcohol - and lately narcotics - seems to be the only way out and a huge problem.

The mineral wealth is a great chance to give young people hope for a better future, but Greenland wants to decide for itself who will receive the concessions: American companies, the Russians or China, which also hopes to establish a foothold there.

As the Danish secret service PET also warns, foreign intelligence services are apparently active on the eve of the elections in Greenland. As is typical for Russian services, it noted "numerous cases of suspicious bank accounts on the Internet" linked to persons "imposing themselves as Danish and Greenlandic politicians and contributing to the polarization of public opinion."

Americans are not idle either. According to available information, influencers close to Trump in the capital of Greenland, Nuuk, distributed 100-dollar bills, and Greenlandic MP Kuno Fenker met in Washington with Trump's Republicans who advocate the annexation of Greenland.

The elections will pass, but the danger will not.

Johan Farkas, a professor at the University of Copenhagen, does not believe that such actions, especially anonymous ones via social networks, have a significant impact.

"Greenland is a very small community with close ties to each other. In my opinion, they are not easy to influence through fake accounts or similar methods," says Farkas.

However, Greenlandic politicians are concerned about the possibility of foreign influence, much like Elon Musk's tireless support for extremist populists in European countries.

That is why, in early February, the Greenlandic parliament passed a law completely banning foreign or anonymous financial donations to political parties, with the exception of those from Denmark.

Professor Farkas believes that this is the right answer and warns that "the danger has not passed yet", but also that "a month ago he was more worried than he is today".

Because, after Trump's statements, the president of the Greenland government, Mute Egede, took to social media with a clear message: "We don't want to be either Americans or Danes, we are Kalaalites." Americans and their leader must understand that."

Egede is the leader of the Inuit Community party, which, together with the social democratic Napredak party, has a convincing majority in the regional parliament.

But even though the elections do not seem likely to bring about major changes in the political power relations in Greenland, Professor Farkas warns: "It is important to continue to monitor the situation closely and understand that this threat will not simply disappear after the elections." As long as the US aims to take over Greenland, there is a risk of various campaigns of influence expansion."