'People want change,' said Demokraatit leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen
FOX NEWS -- Greenland’s center-right Demokraatit party pulled off a surprise victory in the country’s parliamentary elections, taking Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede’s party, Inuit Ataqatigiit, out of power.
Independence from Denmark became a focal point of the election amid President Donald Trump’s repeated talk of the U.S. taking control.
"People want change ... We want more business to finance our welfare," said Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Demokraatit's leader, according to Reuters.
The outlet added that Nielsen said Greenland does not "want independence tomorrow" and would prefer separation from Denmark be based on a "good foundation."
Four of the five main parties on the ballot, including the ones that won first and second place, Demokraatit Party and Naleraq, favor independence from Denmark, but disagree on the pace.
Greenland, whose population is approximately 57,000 people, currently operates as a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. However, Trump’s renewed interest in the island sparked conversations about breaking away from the Danish crown.
Prime Minister Egede, whose party failed to maintain control, said in a Facebook post that he respects the outcome of the election and that the parties are ready for negotiations.
The Demokraatit Party saw a major increase in support, winning nearly 30% of the vote compared to just 9% in 2021, according to the Associated Press, which cited Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation KNR TV.
Earlier this month, Trump brought up Greenland in his address to a joint session of Congress.
"We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and, if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America," Trump said, eliciting laughter from the crowd. "We need Greenland for national security and even international security, and we’re working with everybody involved to try and get it… One way or the other, we’re going to get it."
In the same address, Trump vowed that the U.S. would "take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before."