Early election called after tense US-Greenland standoff

COPENHAGEN (AP):

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen yesterday called an early general election for March 24 as the country digests the recent standoff with US President Donald Trump over his designs on the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland.

Frederiksen likely hopes that her handling of the Greenland crisis, in which she appeared straight-talking and tough, will give her a boost with Danish voters.

“It is now up to you, the voters, to decide what direction Denmark will take over the next four years. And I am looking forward to it,” Frederiksen, 48, said as she made her announcement in parliament.

Voters in the NATO and European Union member will determine who sits in the 179-member parliament, which includes two seats apiece for lawmakers representing Greenland and the kingdom’s other semi-autonomous territory, the Faroe Islands.

Trump’s push for US control of Greenland, which culminated in his short-lived threat last month to impose new tariffs on Denmark and several other European countries, was a major challenge for the Danish government over the past year.

Last month, Frederiksen warned that an American takeover of Greenland would amount to the end of the NATO military alliance.

Polls also show a bump in the popularity of the prime minister’s Social Democrats during recent weeks which were dominated by the looming Greenland crisis.

CITIZENS UPSET

Some Danish citizens have been so upset with the US president’s frequent talks about seizing Greenland that they participated in protests and even boycotted American goods in supermarkets.

As she announced the election on Thursday, Frederiksen said in parliament: “This will be a crucial election for us, because, in the next four years, we as Danes and as Europeans will really have to stand on our own two feet.”

“We must define our relationship with the US. We must arm ourselves to ensure peace on our continent. We must keep Europe together,” she added referring to Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine, which is now in its fifth year.

After Trump backed down on his Greenland threats last month, the US, Denmark and Greenland started technical talks on an Arctic security deal.

Still, Frederiksen made clear earlier this month that she remains wary about the Greenland issue. Asked at the Munich Security Conference whether the crisis had passed, she replied: “No, unfortunately not. I think the desire from the US president is exactly the same. He is very serious about this theme.”

Frederik Hjorth, an associate professor for political science at the University of Copenhagen, said: “The Greenland crisis has played a major part in the noticeable bump that the government parties have received over the last couple of months.”

While Trump would likely not feature in a major way in the election campaign, “he will be a sort of a background theme in the campaign because that speaks to the government message of the importance of having competent people in charge.”

Frederiksen, a centre-left Social Democrat, has become known for her strict immigration policies, which are among the toughest in Europe.

Last month, her government unveiled a legal reform allowing the deportation of foreigners who have been sentenced to at least one year of unconditional imprisonment for serious crimes. Years before other countries on the continent tried to outsource asylum request procedures to third countries or set up so-called “return hubs” for rejected asylum seekers outside the European Union, Frederiksen pitched such ideas.

Beyond that, the cost of living in Denmark will probably also become a prominent campaign topic, Hjorth said.

A general election must be held at least every four years but the prime minister can call one at any time. The last election was held on November 1, 2022, and resulted in a three-party coalition that crosses the left-right divide.

Frederiksen has led Denmark since mid-2019. If she gets re-elected, it would be her third term.