The opposition lashes out at the coalition's indecision

It will soon come as no surprise to anyone when the points on the time setting are postponed in Inatsisartut. Nevertheless, Naleraq and Siumut were surprised on Wednesday when they were told that the 2nd reading – and thus also the 3rd reading – has been pushed to the autumn session.

The parties each write this in their own press releases.

Both parties are furious at the coalition's indecision.

- If the parties are to support the people's wish to abolish daylight saving time and return to UTC-3, they must vote in favor. If they are against, they must vote against. But they should not hide behind postponements, writes Naleraq.

- From Siumut's side, we see Inatsisartut's repeated postponements of the decision as an expression of a lack of decision-making ability and a lack of willingness to listen to the citizens, because the postponements of decisions affect many citizens, families with disabled people and business people quite seriously, writes Siumut.

Siumut and Naleraq's bill that Greenland reverts to the old time zone and abolishes daylight saving time was first considered at the 2025 autumn session. Since then, the second reading has been postponed a handful of times.

And that is a serious problem, says the chairman of Naleraq.

- When an issue has been raised for several election periods and the majority still refuses to make a decision, it is political procrastination, says Pele Broberg in the press release.

The 2nd reading was interrupted

On May 5, the 2nd reading of the items began. Prior to the debate, the Law Committee had recommended that the items be rejected and the time zone be maintained, but that daylight saving time be abolished.

The Greenland Government intends to follow that recommendation and abolish daylight saving time from 1 January 2028, said Chairman Jens-Frederik Nielsen (D) from the rostrum.

But shortly afterwards, the 2nd reading was interrupted when member of the Law Committee Bo Martinsen (D) proposed that the items be referred back to the committee for further consideration.

Naleraq writes that this gave people hope that the majority would listen and change their position. Until the items were postponed – again.

- I do not at all agree with the majority of the committee, consisting of Demkoraatit, Inuit Ataqatigiit and Atassut, who wanted to postpone the items until the autumn session, says member of the Law Committee Kuno Fencker (N).

The desire to return to the old time zone is for many about the fact that the later sunrise affects children's sleep rhythms and fishermen's and trappers' working hours.

- Parliament should listen to the population or stick to its decision and not postpone the matter when internal power struggles arise within the coalition parties, writes Naleraq.

Does the argument about Air Greenland fit?

The primary argument for why the current time zone – which Greenland moved to in 2023 – should be maintained is considerations for the business community. Including Air Greenland, which has made it clear what advantages it brings to air traffic to be three hours from Denmark.

But Siumut does not buy the coalition's reasoning about Air Greenland's economy.

They point out that Air Greenland's economy has not improved since the change of the time zone in 2023 – and that ticket prices have not decreased.

- Therefore, we at Siumut have no doubt about what decision should be made, and at the same time we believe that the population must understand that the Naalakkersuisut coalition members in Inatsisartut appear incapable of making decisions, and that their repeated postponements are becoming increasingly clear. Or is this a sign of division in the Naalakkersuisut coalition? writes Siumut.

In an interview with Sermitsiaq last year, Air Greenland's CEO, Jacob Nitter Sørensen, however, pointed out that Air Greenland has had revenue growth on Atlantic routes in 2025, among other things due to new Jet Time departures, which have become possible after the time zone change.

Like Naleraq, Siumut calls on the coalition to listen to the citizens' wishes for a solution to be found.

How the case will end will – hopefully – be clarified in the autumn.