Members of the Naleraq party are celebrating their entry into the Danish parliament, which they want to leave as soon as possible – in favor of an independent Greenland.Image: keystone
March 25, 2026, 4:01 p.mMarch 25, 2026, 4:01 p.m
The Greenlandic party Naleraq, which insists on rapid independence from Denmark, will be represented by a member of parliament in Copenhagen in the coming legislative period.
Qarsoq Høegh-Dam told Greenlandic media that he wanted to use his mandate to advocate for Greenland’s interests in Copenhagen. US President Donald Trump’s claims to ownership of the Arctic island had once again fueled the discussion about a timetable for the country’s independence. While Naleraq is moving quickly on the issue, most other parties in Greenland want to move much more slowly.
Two seats each in the Danish Parliament are reserved for representatives from Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which officially belong to the Danish Kingdom. In recent decades, however, these have reliably gone to Greenland’s social democratic party Siumut and the left-wing Greenlandic party Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA). But just like Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s Social Democrats in Denmark, the Siumut party in Greenland also lost votes in the fight for entry into the Danish parliament.
According to the Ritzau news agency, it is the first time that a member of the Naleraq party has been elected to the Danish parliament. Qarsoq Høegh-Dam succeeds his sister Aki-Matilda, who originally entered the Danish parliament for the social democratic Siumut, but now also belongs to Naleraq. The left-wing party IA was also able to secure a seat in Copenhagen.
Researcher: Election results have no influence on the Greenland conflict
In Denmark, the majority situation is unclear after the election. The parties are preparing for long and complicated government negotiations. However, these are unlikely to have any influence on either the independence debate or the Greenland conflict between the USA and Denmark, said political scientist Rune Stubager from Aarhus University on Wednesday: “I don’t see any change in the position regarding Greenland, no matter which government it ends up with.” (sda/dpa/nil)