The maturity of Greenland's democracy

I have said and written many times that Greenlandic politics is NEVER boring.

Usually it's domestic politics I'm referring to, but lately foreign policy has been making up most of the headlines.

Politics can be a very dirty game, where all sorts of tricks apply. That's why it's always important to know what you're saying and in which forums. From my vantage point, we're now seeing the beginning consequences of a very naive and immature political tactic/strategy of speaking out loudly and with a very dissatisfied attitude for several years. This usually always backfires and this must be learned from at all levels of Greenlandic politics.

If you shout for independence at any cost, some in the wider world will listen and they will use it to promote their own political agenda. This does not mean that you will promote Greenland's path towards independence, but that the independence wing will be used as a political tool to create discord in Greenlandic society. This is insecurity-creating behavior and potentially extremely dangerous.

I am of course referring to those I call the “paragraph 21 partisans”. On the one hand, I understand their agenda, but on the other hand, I believe that they are completely wrong and lack the ability to read the seriousness of the political situation and society's real need for security.

So that dilemma actually illustrates very well one litmus test for whether our democracy is mature and strong. The current Greenlandic government has clearly passed that test. There is room for disagreement, but it clearly states what Greenland should do. It is mature, strong and bodes well for the future.

Is society so mature and ready for future foreign policy battles? The answer is both yes, no and maybe. (You are an old politician). Yes, the current Greenlandic government is ready and is doing a great job. No, society is not ready, as we do not have the necessary military apparatus in place, including the contingency plans that a country under attack should have ready. Just look at Ukraine, which despite a population of around 40 million people, continues to fight every day to resist the attacks it is under. How would Greenland react in a similar situation?

So to the maybe answer. The next election will show whether society is ready to find the balance between the desire for increased independence and the path to it. If the “Paragraph 21 partisans” win, it is the will of the people, but it will also show that political maturity is still not in place.

Another thing everyone should be aware of in the next election is what is called a “Manchurian candidate”, or in Danish a “puppet”. A candidate who is controlled from outside and whose agenda is being kept hidden. Can you imagine the USA supporting such a candidate in the next election for Inatsisartut? They have done that in many other places in the world, so I fear that they may come up with that. If anything, it will test the maturity of Greenland’s democracy.