After signing law to ban foreign donations, Greenland PM calls for snap polls amid Trump pressure

Prompted by rising geopolitical tensions following US President Donald Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland, Prime Minister Múte Egede called for an early election in the Arctic island on March 11.

“It’s time for an election to the Inatsisartut (Greenlandic Parliament). If the Inatsisartut approves my proposal, this will happen on March 11th,” Politico quoted Egede as writing in a post on Facebook on Tuesday.

“We are in a serious time. A time we have never experienced in our country. The time is not for internal division but for cooperation and unity for our country. I am once again more than ready to work for you and to lead our country,” he added.

Egede’s announcement came after parliament approved a law to ban foreign or anonymous donations to prevent external influence in elections.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to control Greenland, calling an American acquisition an “absolute necessity” and not ruling out military action, which has alarmed Europe.

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Greenland, the world’s largest island with around 60,000 residents, was a Danish colony until gaining self-rule in 1979, although Denmark still manages its foreign and defense policies.

Both Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Egede have emphasised that Greenland is not for sale. Egede has stated that Greenlanders “don’t want to be Americans,” a sentiment reflected in a recent poll.

With inputs from agencies