Newly elected Greenlandic members participated in the first meeting of the new Folketing on Friday

Although a new government has not yet been found in Denmark, the 179 members of the Folketing met for the first time today at 12 noon Danish time in the Folketingssalen.

Among the members in the hall were Qarsoq Høegh-Dam from Naleraq and Naaja H. Nathanielsen from IA.

Prior to the meeting, Naaja H. Nathanielsen said that she was looking forward to getting started with the work.

– It will be great to get started, so I am looking forward to it. I already have quite a few appointments in my calendar with other parties and civil society organizations, so the days are full, said Naaja H. Nathanielsen.

Election of temporary chairman

The meeting was chaired by the senior chairman Lars Løkke Rasmussen (M), who is the member with the highest seniority, namely 31 years and just over 6 months.

At the meeting, Søren Gade from the Liberal Party was elected as temporary chairman and a committee of 21 members was also appointed to review the elections. The whole thing lasted about 20 minutes.

After the meeting, Qarsoq Høegh-Dam said that it was a special feeling to see his name on the table in the Folketingssalen.

– I feel a great sense of responsibility. Many people have voted for me, and there are many expectations. But it is starting well, and I am happy to be underway.

Signing of the Constitution

The second meeting of the Folketing will take place on Tuesday, April 14 at 1:00 p.m. Here, the members will vote on the committee's recommendation to approve the general election.

After the vote, all newly elected members must sign at a solemn ceremony in the Landstingssalen that they will comply with the Constitution.

Each of the 67 newly elected members, including Qarsoq Høegh-Dam and Naaja H. Nathanielsen, must sign under the sentence: "I hereby promise on honor and conscience to uphold the constitution of the kingdom."

When it is in place, the meeting will resume in the Folketingssalen with the election of the Speaker of the Folketing, four Deputy Speakers and five House Secretaries. The latter will help, among other things, lead the meetings in the Folketingssalen when the Speaker and Deputy Speakers are unable to attend. Finally, a number of committees must be established, including the Foreign Policy Committee, which has a special role in relation to foreign and security policy, among other things.