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Emrys

(8,954 posts)
4. Greenlanders are divided on whether and when to declare independence from Denmark.
Sat Jan 17, 2026, 09:15 PM
Saturday

So it's not for you or any other outsider to say that Denmark needs to "piss off".

Although clear majorities have agreed in principle with independence in a number of polls over the years, there are understandable reasons most are not in favour of going ahead too quickly:

As part of the self-rule law of 2009 (section §21), Greenland can declare full independence if it wishes to pursue it, but it would have to be approved by a referendum among the Greenlandic people and by the Danish parliament. It has been argued that because it was once a colony, under international law Greenland also has, separate from the 2009 law, the right of self-determination and could make a unilateral declaration of independence. A poll in 2016 showed that there was a clear majority (64%) for full independence among the Greenlandic people, but a poll in 2017 showed that there was a clear opposition (78%) if it meant a fall in living standards.
...
A 2025 poll showed that a majority 84% of Greenlanders would support independence from Denmark, with 9% opposing. 61% opposed independence if it meant a lower standard of living, with 39% in favour. When asked in a binary choice between the USA and Denmark, 85% preferred to be part of Denmark with only 6% preferring the USA.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenlandic_independence


It would be interesting to see how Trump's current bullshit has affected those numbers.

If Greenlanders ever vote for independence, it's highly unlikely Denmark would stand in their way.

The tension between wanting independence and an understanding that Denmark's economic support is currently vital is apparent in all the polling undertaken - some of the nuances are explored in this article:

Greenland’s independence movement sees opportunity in Trump’s interest: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/02/03/greenlands-independence-movement-sees-opportunity-in-trumps-interest

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