Sovereignty: Greenland and Denmark

In light of the numerous discussions regarding Greenland and Denmark that have been held in our GPHC class as of late, I will be discussing the views that Denmark retains in regard to their power over Greenland, the world's largest island, which is variously described as either a territory or constituent country (a state that has it's own degree of autonomy but is part of another, larger nation) of Denmark. The interesting thing about Greenland is that it possesses all of the requirements necessary for it to be considered a fully independent nation (permanent population, define territory and borders, effective government, legitimacy and capacity for at least basic diplomacy), yet it is still considered a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Interestingly, although Danish settlement had been present on the island since the middle ages, the island wasn't officially considered part of the Kingdom until 1953. This idea of a "kingdom" of Denmark (which includes the mainland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands in the Arctic Ocean) is an arguably outdated model still in use from medieval Scandinavia and the viking conquests, but it is still technically officially in place for the purposes of both tradition and unity. Nevertheless, Greenland maintains its own parliament and has had greater rule of itself since the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in 2009. However, more complex acts of diplomacy between nations are still made on behalf of Greenland by Denmark. Despite this, it seems that Greenland's interactions with Denmark have been overall peaceful and in good standing. What's more, the oversee of the island can be a good thing due to Greenland's problems with alcoholism and HIV/AIDS, something which I know is not uncommon in indigenous American populations.

In terms of whether Denmark follows a realist or liberalist model of consolidating power, it certainly follows the liberalist model; it is part of the EU and engages in numerous international organizations dedicated to aid, human rights, and cooperation. And, like all Nordic states, its universal education and healthcare, and its dedication to the IGO the Nordic Council (consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Åland Islands of Finland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland) are definitely testaments to its liberalist model. Historically, relationships between Greenland and Denmark have been somewhat tumultuous in various senses, most notably in the treatment of its Inuit population and control of natural resources as well as its exit from the EU in 1985 over controversy of fishing quotas, however the idea of sovereign independence of Greenland has overall not been very controversial around the world (unlike with a state such as Palestine, for example). Greenland is able to endure due to little rebellion and tumultuous relationships between the public and the government. Although for the future, who knows? Because Greenland has its own separate representation in the Nordic Council and is often thought of as its own fully independent state anyway, I see the probability of independence somewhat likely despite the benefits that Denmark brings to it, most notably the wide influence of soft and smart power it has as a wealthy, thriving Scandinavian state. It seems only time will tell.

Sources:

“Greenland Profile.” BBC News, BBC, 23 July 2018, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18249474.

“The Nordic Council.” Nordic Cooperation, The Nordic Council, 2019, www.norden.org/en/information/nordic-council.

“The World Factbook: Greenland.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 2015, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/print_gl.html.




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