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Politics of Greenland
Constitution Constitution Act of Succession Freedom of Speech and the Press Taxation
The Crown Monarch King Frederik X Privy Council Purveyors to the Royal Court
Realm Kingdom of Denmark (The unity of the Realm) Greenland Denmark Faroe Islands
ExecutiveRegeringen The Government of the Kingdom of Denmark Government Frederiksen II Prime Minister (list) Mette Frederiksen Government Offices Ministries High Commissioner (list) Julie Præst Wilche Naalakkersuisut The Government of Greenland Government Egede II Premier (list) Múte Bourup Egede Government Offices Ministries Privy Council Council of State Queen Margrethe II
LegislatureInatsisartut Parliament of Greenland (20th National Parliament) Speaker Mimi Karlsen Members Folketinget Parliament of the Kingdom of Denmark (72nd Kingdom Parliament) Speaker Søren Gade Members
JudiciarySupreme Court President Poul Søgaard High Court Courts
Elections Political parties Recent elections Parliament of the Kingdom of Denmark: 2011 2015 2019 Greenlandic Parliament: 2013 2014 2018 2021 Local elections: 2017 2021 Referendums Act of Succession Self-government EEC membership Home rule Alcohol
Administrative divisions Municipalities Cities and towns Unincorporated Areas: National Park Pituffik Space Base (Pituffik)
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Steen Lynge Diplomatic missions of / to Greenland Nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy Arctic policy of the Kingdom Greenland–European Union relations Overseas countries and territories EU-OCT Association (OCTA) Politics of the European Union Arctic policy of the EU
Related topics Arctic Command Defence Command Politics of Denmark Politics of the Faroe Islands Unitarism Self rule
Other countries
v t e

The politics of Greenland, an autonomous country (Greenlandic: nuna, Danish: land) within the Kingdom of Denmark, function in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the prime minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament Inatsisartut. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Greenland has full autonomy on most matters, except on policies and decisions affecting the region including negotiations with the devolved legislatures and the Folketing (English: Parliament of Denmark).

Executive powers

Executive power rests with a high commissioner, and a prime minister heads the Cabinet. The high commissioner of Greenland is appointed by the monarch, and the prime minister is elected indirectly by parliament elections results for four-year terms.

The High Commissioner has a seat in the Inatsisartut. The high commissioner is allowed to speak in the Inatsisartut regarding common Danish/Greenlandic affairs, but is not allowed to vote. Following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats is usually given the initiative to establish a new coalition by the Greenlandic Parliament, unless the current Naalakkersuisut Siulittaasuat (Prime Minister in English) is still in power. However, if he/she fails, the chairman of the parliament asks all chairmen of the parties elected to the parliament, and asks them to point to another chairman who they feel can rightly form a new coalition. The chairman with the most votes is then handed the initiative. After forming the coalition, the Naalakkersuisut Siulittaasuat leads the Naalakkersuisut. The Naalakkersuisut will often consist of around 9 members. The coalition parties divide the various ministries among themselves and after this, the parties elect their representative to these ministries. Any other member of the cabinet is called a Naalakkersuisoq.

Legislative branch

Legislative power is shared by the government and the legislature. The legislature Greenlandic Parliament (Greenlandic: Inatsisartut) is made up of 31 members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms by proportional representation. Election of 2 seats to the Danish Parliament (Danish: Folketing) was last held on June 5, 2019. The current composition is shown below.

Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats	+/–
	Inuit Ataqatigiit	9,933	37.44	+11.66	12	+4
	Siumut	7,986	30.10	+2.66	10	+1
	Naleraq	3,252	12.26	–1.29	4	0
	Democrats	2,454	9.25	–10.44	3	–3
	Atassut	1,878	7.08	+1.12	2	0
	Nunatta Qitornai	639	2.41	–1.04	0	–1
	Cooperation Party	376	1.42	–2.69	0	–1
	Independents	10	0.04	New	0	New
Total		26,528	100.00	–	31	0
Valid votes		26,528	97.86
Invalid/blank votes		581	2.14
Total votes		27,109	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		41,126	65.92	–5.94
Source: Qinersineq.gl

Judicial branch

Greenland's judicial system is based on the Danish civil law system, operates independently of the legislature and the executive. It has two court of first instance: the District Courts and the Court of Greenland depending on the type of case, whereas the High Court of Greenland hears cases as the second instance. Decisions made by the High Court of Greenland may be brought before the Supreme Court subject to the permission of the Appeals Permission Board. Appeals may be submitted to the Østre Landsret and the Supreme Court of Denmark (Højesteret).

Political parties and elections

Greenland has a multi-party system (disputing independence versus unionism as well as left versus right). Governments are usually coalition governments. The Greenlandic Parliament (Inatsisartut) has 31 seats. Members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms.

Administrative divisions

The island is administratively divided into 5 municipalities with about 72 cities and villages.

International affairs

Along with diplomatic missions to the European Union and the United States, Greenland participates in the Nordic Council, Arctic Council, International Whaling Commission (Complete list of participation of Greenland in international organisations).

With Denmark having responsibility for Greenland's international affairs, other countries do not have direct diplomatic representation in Greenland — their embassies or consulates in Copenhagen are responsible for their relations with Greenland and their citizens staying or living there.

Greenland is represented internationally by the embassies and consulates of Denmark, although Greenland has an independent Representation to the European Union in Brussels since 1992 and in the United States in Washington D.C since 2014.

Greenland maintains economic and cultural relations with Taiwan via Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada.

International organization participation

• Arctic Council
• Council of Europe
• Inuit Circumpolar Conference
• NATO
• Nordic Council
• Nordic Investment Bank
• West Nordic Council

See also

• Arctic cooperation and politics
• Arctic policy of Denmark
• Politics of Denmark
• List of Danish High Commissioners in Greenland
• Foreign relations of Greenland
• Greenland–European Union relations

References

1. Stm.dk, the website of the High Commissioner of Greenland, as part of the Danish Prime Minister's Office
2. Greenland in Figures, 2014
3. Missions of Greenland abroad, naalakkersuisut.gl (without date).
4. Greenland Representation to the EU Archived 2017-11-13 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 16 May 2016
5. Greenland Representation in the United States, accessed 02 April 2017

External links

• Prime Minister’s Office
• Government of Greenland official government website (in English)
• Greenland.com from the Greenland Tourism & Business Council
• Statistics Greenland

v t e Current cabinets of the Kingdom of Denmark
Frederiksen Johannesen Egede

v t e Greenland articles
Greenland is an autonomous constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark
History	Timeline Paleo-Eskimo Dorset culture Thule people Norse Colonization Eastern Settlement Western Settlement Language Skræling Hans Egede Treaty of Kiel Erik the Red's Land Fridtjof Nansen Land World War II Thule accident County of Greenland Home rule Autonomy (self-rule) Cartographic expeditions
Geography	Climate change Fjords Geology Glaciers Ice sheet Islands by area Mountains National park Rivers Straits Towns and villages Wildlife
Politics	Administrative divisions Elections Independence movement Foreign relations High Commissioner Parliament Law enforcement LGBT rights Military Political parties Ruling monarchs Political leader Governor (1728–1730, 1925–1979) Inspector (1782–1924) Prime Minister (1979–current)
Economy	Bank Companies Krone (currency) Fishing industry Mining National Bank Taxation Telecommunications Tourism Transport
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• Politics of Greenland