Greenland election 2013

[politicus]

Even in Greenland its a bit surprising with only 4 out of 31 seats going to Liberal and Conservative parties (I consider Atassut to be Conservatives). Atassut, once the second largest party in Greenland, looks doomed.
I wonder at what point we will see a viable Centre-Right alternative to IA and Siumut. Of course it depends on the countrys economic progress, but what is your guess? Maybe 15-20 years?

You could argue that the opening of Greenland to development by both IA and Siumut is a fairly right-wing move despite their left-wing platforms. That was the main issue in the election, and what actually surprises me is the lack of a left-wing anti-development party.

In a Greenlandic context nationalism, and thus economic independence from Denmark, is closely connected to leftism. Which is why IA accepted such lucrative terms for Big Mining, since they are more nationalist than Siumut. No Greenlanders are anti-development as such, its a matter of who gets what and how much centralization in Nuuk there needs to be.
What is considered left or right is also a matter of perspective. IA transformed the major government owned businesses into profitable companies by rationalizing and laying off workers. Is that left wing = securing public ownership of the most important means of production or right wing = the state behaving like any other capitalist. I would say left wing, but it is debatable.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Not everywhere is Seattle.

[ottermax]

Not everywhere is Seattle.

.... yes that's very true.

I think I just find it surprising that Greenland is so pro-development compared to other Arctic areas like Nunavut. Obviously it makes a lot of sense; what really doesn't make so much sense is opposition to development by Inuit leaders in Northern Canada... there doesn't seem to be popular support for those opinions.

[Diouf]

New coalition ready: Siumut, Atassut and quite surprisingly Partii Inuit

More details have not emerged yet, wonder what PI has gotten to participate in this coalition and how Siumut and Atassut voters will react to this.

[Diouf]

To the left Partii Inuit leader Nikku Olsen, in the middle Siumut leader and new Prime Minister Aleqa Hammond, to the right Atassut leader Gerhardt Petersen

The parties say that they agree on the most important principles, but that the coalition program and division of ministries won't be finalized until Friday. The principles they agreed on were a reform of the fisheries policy, royalty taxation of mining companies instead of regular company taxation, a cancellation of the zero tolerance policy towards uranium extraction and an implementation of Greenlandic as the primary language of Greenland.

Partii Inuits prize is off course the latter point, Atassuts win is probably the fisheries thing; presumably it will be something with more quotas to the fishermen and what they call "structural adjustments" which I presume has something to do with modernization of boats, etc.

[politicus]

Ideologically this is a left-center-right coalition, just like the former government. The only difference is that the more centrist party is the biggest this time, but since Kleist made IA pretty centrist, thats not much of a difference. I am not sure this "unnaturally" broad coalition thing is healthy for Greenland. It tends to blur things too much.

With perhaps 25% primarily Danish speaking people in Greenland (as Ingemann pointed out, many Inuit Danish speakers say they are bilingual because it is more "appropriate") the language thing is bad news. Its not very democratic to ignore such a large minority. Hammond seems to be as nationalist as Hans Enoksen on this one. I am surprised Atassut has accepted that. But they are probably worried they will become completely irrelevant if they stay out of the new government.

Uranium extraction is problematic as well, but to be expected.

[ingemann]

Ideologically this is a left-center-right coalition, just like the former government. The only difference is that the more centrist party is the biggest this time, but since Kleist made IA pretty centrist, thats not much of a difference. I am not sure this "unnaturally" broad coalition thing is healthy for Greenland. It tends to blur things too much.

With perhaps 25% primarily Danish speaking people in Greenland (as Ingemann pointed out, many Inuit Danish speakers say they are bilingual because it is more "appropriate") the language thing is bad news. Its not very democratic to ignore such a large minority. Hammond seems to be as nationalist as Hans Enoksen on this one. I am surprised Atassut has accepted that. But they are probably worried they will become completely irrelevant if they stay out of the new government.

Uranium extraction is problematic as well, but to be expected.

I find it a interesting experiment, through quite foolish. The new government will likely see a backlash if they really try to push it, and while not a losing issue at it own, it can mean that the Danish speakers decides to back the opposition enmass, and with Danish speakers spread out in both blocks right now, it would be a disaster for the Siumut and Atassut (mostly for Atassut as it's already a moribond party).

[Diouf]

Nikku Olsen, the leader of Partii Inuit, has been deemed ineligble for election by parliament because he hit his ex-girlfriend a few years ago. Apparently he had rejected the existence of the case in the election campaign, but when checking the eligibility of MP's the existence of the case was confirmed. As Partii Inuit, like Atassut, chose not to have their party leader fill their minister post, this now means that Olsen has no political post. I don't know if the party will make their current minister, Mette Lynge, step down and be replaced by Olsen, and whether he will be accepted by parliament. I sincerely doubt it, so it looks like it has been a quick rise and fall for Nikku Olsen in politics so far.