Politics of Greenland
Encyclopedia
Politics of Greenland
takes place in a framework of a parliamentary
representative democratic
Danish
dependency
, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government
, and of a multi-party system
. Greenland is a self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979. Executive power
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government
and the Parliament of Greenland
(known as Inatsisartut). The party system is dominated by the social democratic Forward
, the separatist and socialist Inuit Community and the conservative liberal and unionist Feeling of Community
.
The judiciary
is independent of the executive and the legislature.
is also head of state of Greenland. She is represented by a High Commissioner, appointed by her. The Prime Minister is elected by Parliament and leads the Landsstyre.
|Queen
|Margaret II of Denmark
|
|14 January 1972
|-
|High Commissioner
|Mikala Engell
|
|1 April 2005
|-
|Prime Minister
|Kuupik Kleist
|Inuit Ataqatigiit
|12 June 2009
|}
or Landsting
(31 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms). Two representatives were elected to the Parliament of Denmark at the last Danish elections, Siumut 1, Inuit Ataqatigiit
1.
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...
takes place in a framework of a parliamentary
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
Danish
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...
dependency
Dependent territory
A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State, and remains politically outside of the controlling state's integral area....
, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
, and of a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
. Greenland is a self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and the Parliament of Greenland
Parliament of Greenland
The Parliament of Greenland is the legislature in the government of Greenland, an autonomous province of Denmark. The government of Greenland is also called Home Rule of Greenland. 16 seats are needed for a majority....
(known as Inatsisartut). The party system is dominated by the social democratic Forward
Forward (Greenland)
Forward is a social-democratic political party in Greenland and a consultative member of the Socialist International. It is led by Aleqa Hammond, member of the Greenlandic Parliament, who is the first woman ever to lead the party...
, the separatist and socialist Inuit Community and the conservative liberal and unionist Feeling of Community
Feeling of Community
Feeling of Community is a centre-right conservative liberal and agrarian political party in Greenland and a partner of the Danish Venstre party. At the last legislative elections, on the fifteenth of November 2005, the party won 19.1% of the popular vote and six out of 31 seats...
.
The judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Executive branch
The monarch of DenmarkDenmark
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...
is also head of state of Greenland. She is represented by a High Commissioner, appointed by her. The Prime Minister is elected by Parliament and leads the Landsstyre.
|Queen
|Margaret II of Denmark
|
|14 January 1972
|-
|High Commissioner
|Mikala Engell
|
|1 April 2005
|-
|Prime Minister
|Kuupik Kleist
Kuupik Kleist
Jakob Edvard Kuupik Kleist is a Socialist and Left-wing Greenlandic politician. He became the fifth Prime Minister of Greenland in 2009, the first from the Inuit Ataqatigiit political party....
|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...
|12 June 2009
|}
Legislative branch
Greenland has a unicameral ParliamentParliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
or Landsting
Parliament of Greenland
The Parliament of Greenland is the legislature in the government of Greenland, an autonomous province of Denmark. The government of Greenland is also called Home Rule of Greenland. 16 seats are needed for a majority....
(31 seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms). Two representatives were elected to the Parliament of Denmark at the last Danish elections, Siumut 1, 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...
1.
Diplomatic representations
With Denmark having responsibility for Greenland's international affairs, other countries do not have direct diplomatic representation in Greenland -- their embassies or consulates in Denmark are responsible for their relations with Greenland and their citizens in Greenland. Greenland is represented internationally by the embassies and consulates of Denmark, although Greenland does directly participate in some Nordic organisations which provide membership for dependent territories.See also
- Greenlandic self-government referendum, 2008Greenlandic self-government referendum, 2008A non-binding referendum on Greenland's autonomy was held on 25 November 2008. It was passed with 75% approval and a 72% turnout. The referendum was announced by Prime Minister Hans Enoksen on 2 January 2008. Enoksen also announced the launch of an information and discussion campaign on the issue...
- Arctic cooperation and politicsArctic Cooperation and PoliticsArctic cooperation and politics are partially coordinated via the Arctic Council, composed of the eight Arctic nations of the United States of America, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Denmark with Greenland and The Faroe Islands...
- Arctic policy of Denmark
International organization participation
- Nordic CouncilNordic CouncilThe Nordic Council is a geo-political, inter-parliamentary forum for co-operation between the Nordic countries. It was established following World War II and its first concrete result was the introduction in 1952 of a common labour market and free movement across borders without passports for the...
- Nordic Investment BankNordic Investment BankThe Nordic Investment Bank is an international financial institution founded in the mid-1970s by the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. In 2005, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania became members of the Bank. NIB’s headquarters are located in Helsinki, Finland...