NUUK: Greenland voted on Tuesday in legislative elections which could yield a timeline for independence for the Danish self-governing territory coveted by US President Donald Trump.

Trump, determined to get his hands on the vast Arctic island “one way or the other”, tried until the last minute to influence the vote, sparking astonishment, rejection, and, to a small degree, enthusiasm among the 57,000 Greenlanders, most of whom favour independence.

After waiting in a long line with other voters, Greenland’s outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede — who celebrated his 38th birthday on Tuesday — cast his ballot shortly after polls opened at 9am. “Our country is in the eye of the storm,” he said in a video posted to Facebook just hours before the vote.

“The international community is watching us closely, and we have recently seen how much they are trying to influence our country,” said Egede, leader of the left-green party Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA).

Polling stations close at 8pm and first results are expected several hours later.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2025