Greenland has witnessed a historic political shift as voters delivered a significant blow to the traditionally dominant left-wing parties, Siumut and Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA), in the latest elections. The results mark a major realignment in Greenlandic politics, with the social-liberal Demokraatit emerging as the biggest winner.
A landslide victory for Demokraatit
The election results show that Demokraatit achieved their best performance ever, signaling voters’ desire for change. Meanwhile, Siumut suffered a record-breaking defeat, and IA also experienced a significant decline in support.
In the previous election, Siumut and IA collectively secured 66% of the vote. This time, their combined support plummeted to 36%, with their individual vote shares falling by 47% and 38%, respectively. The drastic decline reflects widespread dissatisfaction with the political status quo.
According to Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, the election results indicate that Greenlanders are eager for a new political direction.
“For 40 to 50 years, Siumut and IA have been responsible for building Greenland’s self-governing state. The promises were to make the country less Danish and more Greenlandic while ensuring welfare services. But now, the voters want to try something different,” he explained.
Welfare concerns a key factor in voter shift
One of the primary reasons behind the left-wing parties’ downfall, according to Pram Gad, is dissatisfaction with the state of Greenland’s welfare system. However, he argues that voters are not rejecting welfare itself but rather the way it has been managed.
“Efforts have been made to create a Greenlandic welfare state, but they haven’t really succeeded. When people in small settlements see healthcare workers leaving for bigger cities and rely on doctors flown in from Denmark, they don’t feel like the system is working,” he noted.
Despite their focus on welfare policies, IA and Siumut failed to convince voters that they could improve services. Instead, parties such as Naleraq, which advocates for rapid independence from Denmark, and Demokraatit, which supports a more liberal approach, were seen as better alternatives.
“Voters believe that welfare won’t improve under IA and Siumut. The lack of teachers and healthcare professionals has made their promises less credible. That’s why they are turning to alternatives—either radical change with Naleraq or structural reforms with Demokraatit,” Pram Gad stated.
Fisheries policy fuels discontent with Siumut
Another major issue that led to Siumut’s decline was its fisheries policy. The party’s handling of fishing quotas created friction between large commercial trawler companies and small-scale fishermen, many of whom depend on fishing as their primary livelihood.
“The changes in quotas have led to less work for small-scale fishermen and their families while benefiting larger trawler enterprises,” Pram Gad explained.
This policy shift particularly impacted Northwest Greenland, where voters abandoned Siumut in favor of Naleraq and Demokraatit.
Additionally, Siumut has undergone an internal transformation, shifting away from being a broad national movement and losing its most radical independence advocates, who have now gravitated toward Naleraq.
A new political landscape
With Demokraatit now at the forefront of Greenlandic politics, the election results indicate a clear demand for new approaches to governance, welfare, and economic policy. Whether this shift leads to meaningful changes remains to be seen, but one thing is certain—Greenland’s political landscape will not be the same.
