Liveblog: The time of judgment is postponed – again

Today and yesterday, two items on moving the standard time zone in Greenland back to UTC-3 were to be discussed in Inatsisartut.

But again, again the items have been postponed. According to chairman of Inatsisartut Kim Kielsen (independent), this is because the Law Committee has requested the items to be postponed. He said this in the chamber on Tuesday.

It is Siumut and Naleraq – who are now both opposition parties – who have proposed moving the clocks back again, so that the time difference with Denmark will be four hours in the future. They also want to abolish daylight saving time completely.

The items were first discussed at the autumn session of 2025, where they were also supposed to be completed. Then they were postponed to the winter session, which was cancelled on the first day. And now they have been postponed again.

According to the current agenda, items 2 should be discussed on May 5 and 3 on May 15.

Why the decision is constantly being moved is unclear. When the items were first discussed, there was immediate support from all parties. However, Siumut has since left the coalition.

It was a unanimous decision of Inatsisartut, which in 2022 decided to change the time zone to the current UTC-2, but Siumut has acknowledged to Sermitsiaq that it was a mistake that they now want to correct.

Democrat Jørgen Rosbach is one of the new additions to the Naalakkersuisut tribe.

He was elected to Inatsisartut last year, and he tells Sermitsiaq that he is ready to take on more responsibility.

- When I ran for Inatsisartut last year, I had already made it clear to myself that I would not hesitate to take on more responsibility, whether it be committee work in Inatsisartut or a responsibility in Naalakkersuisut. So I am ready, says Jørgen Rosbach.

Regarding which priorities he will work on, he will spend the first time getting into the areas of responsibility, which include environment, nature, energy and research.

- The initiatives that will come will be in line with Naalakkersuisut's agreements, he says.

IA's Iddimanngiiu Jensen Bianco from Tasiilaq, will become a member of Naalakkersuisut for the first time. She will be responsible for housing, infrastructure, outlying districts and emergency response.

Iddimanngiiu Jensen Bianco tells Sermitsiaq that she is ready to take on the responsibility:

- I myself come from an outer district, as they call it. I think that area will play a big role in my work, but also in terms of infrastructure. Right now we can see that there are still challenges with passenger transport in East Greenland, but also more housing in poor condition, she says.

She does not hide that it will be a good challenge for her to become Naalakkersuisoq, but she is also ready for tough prioritization:

- As for outer districts in Greenland, I will investigate what specific challenges there are that we can look at and do something about. I look forward to getting started with the work, says Iddimanngiiu Jensen Bianco.

The three new members of Naalakkersuisut, who have requested leave, have had their request approved.

In addition, the eligibility of new member of Naalakkersuisut, Marita Broberg (A), has been approved.

Ane Hansen and Kristian Jeremiassen have been summoned as deputies for IA's new members of Naalakkersuisut.

Ida Vahl is summoned as deputy for Demokraatit's new member of Naalakkersuisut, Jørgen Rosbach.

Inatsisartut is taking a short break until 12.15.

The chairmanship will consider the request for leave from the three new members of Naalakkersuisut who are sitting in Inatsisartut.

These are Jørgen Rosbach and Marianne Paviasen and Iddimanngiiu Jensen Bianco.

After a long debate, a vote is now being held on Jens-Frederik Nielsen's proposal for a new Naalakkersuisut.

18 votes in favor of the new Naalakkersuisut. 10 have abstained.

The new Naalakkersuisut is a reality.

- I look forward to constructive and productive cooperation between Inatsisartut and Naalakkersuisut in the years ahead, says Jens-Frederik Nielsen from the podium.

The distribution of jurisdictional areas can be seen further down in the blog.

Former member of Siumut and Naalakkersuisut, Vivian Motzfeldt, also intervenes in the debate:

- The population also wants to hear a sober mood here from the hall, no matter how much one disagrees. We are not judges from the podium, she says.

Siumut's Erik Jensen is still on the podium and answers questions regarding his criticism of Anna Wangenheim's candidacy for the parliamentary election in connection with the election of the new Naalakkersuisut.

Naleraq has some comments on the proposal for a new Naalakkersuisut:

- There have been major changes recently. Recently, people wore face masks. Now it is as if they are blindfolded and refuse to see the whole of society, says rapporteur Jens Napãtôk’.

Jens Napatok talks at length about the conditions in society, which he does not think are in order.

So Naleraq cannot participate in the vote regarding the new Naalakkersuisut members. Naleraq abstains from voting again.

Nor will Siumut vote in favor.

- Naalakkersuisut will not lack tasks. It is a bit surprising and strange that Naalakkersuisut members who send job applications or have plans to travel to Denmark have been nominated, says Erik Jensen.

Erik Jensen is probably talking about Anna Wangenheim, who sought election to the Folketing.

The announcement causes IA's Pipaluk Lynge to react. She asks if Siumut is against standing for election.

- We from Siumut protect the various rights. For us, it is strange that a Naalakkersuisut is looking for new opportunities, says Erik Jensen.

Chairman Kim Kielsen intervenes and states that new members of Naalakkersuisut should be debated, not the election to the Folketing.

The debate and thus the election of the new Naalakkersuisut drags on. Erik Jensen maintains his criticism of the fact that members of Naalakkersuisut chose to stand for election.

Anna Wangenheim asks for the floor, and she says that there was a lot of consideration behind her decision to stand for election.

She says she has been 100 percent present in her job as Naalakkersuisut.

Jens-Frederik Nielsen now takes the rostrum.

He asks for the election of the following members to Naalakkersuisut.

There are four new members in the form of Jørgen Rosbach (D), Iddimanngiiu Jensen Bianco (IA), Maritha Broberg (A) and Mariane Paviassen Jensen (IA).

Note that it will be IA chairman Múte B. Egede who will take over Vivian Motzfeldt's area of ​​responsibility for foreign affairs, which has been under particularly great pressure during the great pressure from the USA.

IA Vice-Chairman Aqqaluaq B. Egede will be the new Minister of Finance.

Here is the entire list along with the distribution of areas of responsibility.

Inatsisartut is now in the process of electing a chairman for Inatsisartut.

Demokraatit nominates Kim Kielsen, who thus appears to continue in the post.

Vivian Motzfeldt is nominated as an alternate.

The two politicians have reached an agreement to continue supporting the coalition, and this may be the basis for Kim Kielsen to continue in the post.

Naleraq's Jens Napãtôk' has now taken the podium. He complains about the rules of procedure, where Naleraq believes that the chairman should have been elected until the autumn without a new election.

Naleraq will abstain from voting, it is said.

Kim Kielsen says that because the chairman (himself) has become an independent, there must be an election.

He believes that the rules of procedure have been followed.

Now it is Erik Jensen's turn at the podium. He also does not believe that the rules of procedure have been followed.

Kim Kielsen interrupts Erik Jensen and reminds him that the agenda item is about the election of chairman.

Kielsen is approved as chairman and Vivian Motzfeldt as deputy with 18 votes in favor.

The current chairman of Inatsisartut, independent Kim Kielsen, has opened the meeting.

He begins by talking about cooperation:

- Only through dialogue and cooperation can we create the change we want, he begins.

He then informs that Naaja H. Nathanielsen has requested leave due to elections to the Folketing.

He also informs that Vivian Motzfeldt resigned from Naalakkersuisut on March 13 and rejoined as a member of Inatsisartut.

Siumut's Anders Olsen has therefore resigned.

- I hope our meetings will take place in a good and constructive atmosphere, says Kielsen.

Siumut's Erik Jensen says immediately before the meeting that Siumut is now ready to be in opposition:

- We will be on the offensive rather than having to defend. We look forward to being in constructive opposition, says Erik Jensen to Sermitsiaq.

A particular point is important for the party:

- The timing is very important to us. It is a choice between the wishes of the population (we admit it was not a good decision we made at the time). Siumut admits the mistake and will correct it as soon as possible. Is it the wishes of the population or a certain company that will determine the fate of the times, asks Erik Jensen.

Demokraatits Anna Wangenheim has shared a picture on Facebook, where she writes that four new members of Naalakkersuisut are ready to be installed on Tuesday.

Wangenheim does not write the names of the new members of Naalakkersuisut, but the picture shows a politician who has not been in the picture since the election to Inatsisartut last year, namely IA's Ane Hansen.

Ane Hansen is number four on IA's list of deputies, so it may be that she will join Inatsisartut as a deputy, but it could also be that the experienced politician has been appointed to play a role in Naalakkersuisut.

Anna Wangenheim writes in her post that it requires broad cooperation so that democracy is as strong as possible.

- We look forward to the decisions that will be made, for the benefit of the entire population, writes the politician.

See Anna Wangenheim's photo with fellow politicians here.