Independence from Denmark key issue in Greenland vote

TheLocal.dk ^ | 24 April 2018 09:27 CEST+02:00 | AFP

[Olog-hai]

Greenland votes Tuesday in a local parliament election, with full independence a key issue for the self-ruled Danish territory threatened by global warming and struggling with youth suicides and sex abuse among its indigenous people.

Rich in unexploited natural resources, Greenland gained autonomy from Denmark in 1979 and was granted self-rule in 2009, though Copenhagen retains control of foreign and defense affairs.

The vast island between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans, mostly covered in ice and home to just 55,000 people, also receives some 3.6 billion kroner (€483 million, $591 million) in subsidies each year from its former colonial master.

While Denmark’s constitution recognizes the island’s right to decide on its own independence, if it became a sovereign nation it would lose the much-needed subsidies, which make up 60 percent of Greenland’s annual budget. So the main issue for pro-independence campaigners is when to secede, and how to do so without impoverishing the island.

With a gross domestic product of $2.2 billion in 2015, an independent Greenland would be the poorest country in Europe along with San Marino.

Of the seven political parties, six are in favor of independence. Some are keen to declare independence by 2021 to coincide with the 300^th anniversary of Denmark’s occupation, though most have not set a timeline. …

[Amberdawn]

11,000 per resident.

[Enchante]

Why on earth should an independent Greenland be part of “Europe”?? It’s not in Europe.

[Cowboy Bob]

I wonder how they’ll do without the subsidy from Denmark.

[Forgotten Amendments]

The neocons will insist that we send in troops to keep “the homeland” safe.

[Billthedrill]

Man, that place will sure hold a lot of Somalian and Syrian, ah, “refugees”.

[faithhopecharity]

Too late. USAF is already the most powerful military in Greenland. See: Thule AFB

[Cronos]

With a gross domestic product of $2.2 billion in 2015, an independent Greenland would be the poorest country in Europe along with San Marino.

San Marino is not poor. It's GDP is $1.9 billion, but the GDP per capita is $49K -- in comparison the GDP per cap of the USA is $61K and of Japan is $40K.

San Marino is definitely not poor

[DaxtonBrown]

If anyone would benefit from global warming, it would be Greenland.

[Cronos]

If they leave Denmark, they do not automatically get entrance into the EU. Most likely they will not be allowed to join the EU - Spain will veto (as it wants to prevent Catulnya separatists from getting ideas)

Danish "rule" has been really light since WWII. The locals are for all purposes independent except they get a lot of money from Copenhagen (akin to how Northern Ireland gets a lot of money from London); they can maintain their language and culture. I don't see any benefit for them to be de jure independent (in contrast to Catalunya where I see some benefits)

[Enchante]

I wouldn’t think so. I was referencing the line in the article which said that an independent Greenland would be the poorest country in Europe. I would not have considered them in any way a part of Europe without the legalistic Denmark connection.

[Cronos]

The original article calls them the poorest in Europe with San Marino - but that was a wrong statement -- their budget is $2.2 billion with a population of just 55,000 - so GDP per capita is $40K per person. That's the same level as Israel - a country with a smaller population has a lower GDP

ditto for San Marino which has a GDP of $1.9 billion but a population of 33,562

Europe is really a human construct geographically, but if one was to talk about culturally then Armenia and Georgia and Israel (all part of Asia geographically) should be included as should Greenland.

[Moltke]

“... when to secede, and how to do so without impoverishing the island.”

“Rich in unexploited natural resources, Greenland...”

“... when to secede, and how to do so without impoverishing the island.”

“Rich in unexploited natural resources, Greenland...”

“... when to secede, and how to do so without impoverishing the island.”

“Rich in unexploited natural resources, Greenland...”

Nope, I don’t see any way either.

[neverevergiveup]

Wow. Average high temperature of Ilulissat, Greenland in July = 52.5 F. Average yearlong temperature = 30.86 F.

[Truth29]

If Greenland really plans to declare independence, the Russians will be right there offering all sorts of inducements to let them explore the resources under the ice.

[BobL]

“San Marino is definitely not poor”

I was thinking the same, thanks for the numbers. I didn’t think San Marino was poor, so I was right, and the IDIOT LEFTIST who wrote the article must have figured that absolute GDP is how you measure wealth of a country.

[Hawthorn]

If Denmark leaves Greenland, we need to occupy the place — for strategic reasons.

And maybe joint “condiminium” rule with Canada would be an option.

But if we and the Canadians maintain a 100% hands-off posture, the Chinese will surely try to take over the mineral resources — while maybe letting the Russians have Thule.

[Cronos]

Yup. I’d like to think it was an innocent mistake. But if absolute GDP is the measure of wealth then India and Nigeria are far richer than Switzerland.

[Does so]

If Denmark leaves Greenland, we need to occupy the place — for strategic reasons.

Just as we occupied Denmark's Iceland at the outbreak of WWII.

[Mastador1]

"More than 2.5 million years ago Greenland looked like the green Alaskan tundra, before it was covered by the second largest body of ice on Earth," the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said in a statement Thursday.

And supposedly it's now threatened by global warming? Yeah and Faeries wear boots!