Egede’s announcement comes after parliament passed a law to ban foreign or anonymous donations over concerns of external influence in any election campaign. Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in taking control of the strategically located and resource-rich island, calling an American acquisition of Greenland an “absolute necessity” and refusing to rule out using military force to take it, sending shock waves across Europe. Greenland, the world’s largest island with a population of around 60,000, was a Danish colony until it became self-ruling with its own parliament in 1979. It remains a territory of Denmark, with Copenhagen exercising control over its foreign and defense policy.
Prompted by rising geopolitical tensions following US President Donald Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland, Prime Minister Múte Egede called for an early election in the Arctic island on March 11. “It’s time for an election to the Inatsisartut (Greenlandic Parliament). If the Inatsisartut approves my proposal, this will happen on March 11th,” Politico quoted Egede as writing in a post on Facebook on Tuesday. “We are in a serious time. A time we have never experienced in our country. The time is not for internal division but for cooperation and unity for our country. I am once again more than ready to work for you and to lead our country,” he added.
The upcoming election campaign is expected to revolve around Greenland's independence aspirations, the development of the island's fragile economy and relations with Denmark and the United States. "We are in the midst of a serious time. A time that we have never experienced in our country. This is not the time for internal division," Prime Minister Mute Egede said in a social media post that did not mention Trump. Trump in December renewed his wish to control the strategically important island and did not rule out using military or economic power to achieve this. The semi-autonomous territory of Denmark has said it is open for business but does not wish to be part of the United States. Egede said he would now ask parliament to approve his proposal to hold an election.
