Kuupik Kleist
Encyclopedia
Jakob Edvard Kuupik Kleist (born 31 March 1958 in Qullissat
) is a Socialist and Left-wing Greenland
ic politician. He became the fifth Prime Minister of Greenland in 2009, the first from the Inuit Ataqatigiit
political party.
The son of a Danish
worker and a Greenlandic mother with a hearing disability, Kleist grew up in a foster family. He attended primary school in Qullissat from 1966 until 1972 when the mining town was abandoned and then he attended lower secondary school in Sisimiut
until 1975. When he was 17, he was sent to Denmark, alone and with no prior knowledge of Danish. He attended the Birkerød
State School in Denmark from 1975–1978. Kleist is a 1983 recipient of a diploma in social work from Roskilde University
Centre. He taught journalism in Nuuk
from 1988-1991.
In 1996, Kleist was appointed the Director of the Foreign Office of the Greenland Home Rule Government (Direktør for hjemmestyrets udenrigskontor). He was a Member of the Danish Parliament from 20 November 2001 to 13 November 2007, representing the Inuit Ataqatigiit
(IA) party. IA will be the first party to govern the autonomous Danish territory under an expanded home rule agreement known as "self-rule" (selvstyre). While the self-rule agreement has been referred to a step towards eventual full independence from Denmark, Kleist's administration is expected to put "any push for independence [...] on the backburner", given his pledge to focus on social issues such as alcoholism, domestic violence and a high suicide rate.
Since 2007, he has been the leader of IA, a leftist political party which works towards Greenland's eventual full autonomy from Denmark
. The party received the most votes in the 2009 election
. In June 2009 he was elected the 5th Prime Minister of Greenland, winning 5,461 personal votes against the 1,413 votes for incumbent Prime Minister Hans Enoksen
.
In late August 2009 Kleist met with Admiral
Tim Sloth Jørgensen
and General
Walter Natynczyk
,
the Chief of Denmark's Defence staff and the Chief of Canada
's Defence staff.
Jørgensen and Walter Natynczyk were conducting a tour of Danish and Canadian military bases in the Arctic.
Qullissat
Qullissat is a former settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in western Greenland. It was a coal mining town founded to exploit the national resources of Disko Island...
) is a Socialist and Left-wing Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
ic politician. He became the fifth Prime Minister of Greenland in 2009, the first from the Inuit Ataqatigiit
Inuit Ataqatigiit
Inuit Ataqatigiit is a leftist and separatist political party in Greenland. The party was born out of the increased youth radicalism in Denmark during the 1970s. The party strives to make Greenland an independent state.In the 2005 elections, the party won 22.6% of the popular vote and seven out of...
political party.
The son of a Danish
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
worker and a Greenlandic mother with a hearing disability, Kleist grew up in a foster family. He attended primary school in Qullissat from 1966 until 1972 when the mining town was abandoned and then he attended lower secondary school in Sisimiut
Sisimiut
Sisimiut is a town in central-western Greenland, located on the coast of Davis Strait, approximately north of Nuuk. It is the administrative center of the Qeqqata Municipality and the second-largest town in Greenland, with a population of 5,460 people as of 2010. The site of the present-day town...
until 1975. When he was 17, he was sent to Denmark, alone and with no prior knowledge of Danish. He attended the Birkerød
Birkerød
Birkerød is a town and was a municipality in Frederiksborg County on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark...
State School in Denmark from 1975–1978. Kleist is a 1983 recipient of a diploma in social work from Roskilde University
Roskilde University
Roskilde University is a Danish public university founded in 1972 and located in Trekroner in the Eastern part of Roskilde. The university awards bachelor and master's degrees as well as Ph.D...
Centre. He taught journalism in Nuuk
Nuuk
Nuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in...
from 1988-1991.
In 1996, Kleist was appointed the Director of the Foreign Office of the Greenland Home Rule Government (Direktør for hjemmestyrets udenrigskontor). He was a Member of the Danish Parliament from 20 November 2001 to 13 November 2007, representing the Inuit Ataqatigiit
Inuit Ataqatigiit
Inuit Ataqatigiit is a leftist and separatist political party in Greenland. The party was born out of the increased youth radicalism in Denmark during the 1970s. The party strives to make Greenland an independent state.In the 2005 elections, the party won 22.6% of the popular vote and seven out of...
(IA) party. IA will be the first party to govern the autonomous Danish territory under an expanded home rule agreement known as "self-rule" (selvstyre). While the self-rule agreement has been referred to a step towards eventual full independence from Denmark, Kleist's administration is expected to put "any push for independence [...] on the backburner", given his pledge to focus on social issues such as alcoholism, domestic violence and a high suicide rate.
Since 2007, he has been the leader of IA, a leftist political party which works towards Greenland's eventual full autonomy from Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The party received the most votes in the 2009 election
Greenlandic parliamentary election, 2009
Parliamentary elections were held in Greenland on 2 June 2009. Prime Minister Hans Enoksen announced the election date on 15 April 2009, stating that he would prefer for a newly elected parliament to administer Greenland when the self-government reform takes effect on 21 June 2009...
. In June 2009 he was elected the 5th Prime Minister of Greenland, winning 5,461 personal votes against the 1,413 votes for incumbent Prime Minister Hans Enoksen
Hans Enoksen
Hans Enoksen is a Greenlandic politician who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Greenland from 2002 to 2009.A Greenlandic monoglot, he has been a member of the Parliament of Greenland since 1995...
.
In late August 2009 Kleist met with Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Tim Sloth Jørgensen
Tim Sloth Jørgensen
Admiral Tim Sloth Jørgensen is a senior officer in the Royal Danish Navy.He is notable for being appointed Chief of Denmark's Defence staff.Jørgensen conducted a tour of military sites in Greenland and Nunavut, Canada, inAugust 2009....
and General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Walter Natynczyk
Walter Natynczyk
General Walter J. Natynczyk , CMM, MSC, CD is the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces.-Biography:Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1958, where he grew up with his two sisters, Natynczyk is the son of a Polish father and German mother. He worked as a Winnipeg Free Press paperboy and a...
,
the Chief of Denmark's Defence staff and the Chief of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Defence staff.
Jørgensen and Walter Natynczyk were conducting a tour of Danish and Canadian military bases in the Arctic.