Democrats (Greenland)

Democrats
Demokraatit
Danish name Demokraterne
Leader Randi Vestergaard Evaldsen
Political Vice Justus Hansen
Organizational Vice Nivi Olsen
Founded November 28, 2002 (2002-11-28)
Headquarters Inatsisartut, 3900 Nuuk
Youth wing Demokraatit Inuusuttaat
Ideology Greenlandic unionism
Populism[1]
Conservatism[1]
Political position Centre[2] to Centre-right[3]
Colors Black, red and white
Inatsisartut
4 / 31
Municipalities
2 / 70
Folketing
(Greenland seats)
0 / 2
Website
www.demokraatit.gl

The Democrats (Greenlandic: Demokraatit) (Danish: Demokraterne) are a centre-right populist and pro-Danish political party in Greenland.

The party is skeptical of Greenlandic independence and even further self-governance, and is highly favoured by ethnic Danes living in Greenland. It has taken over this position from the Solidarity (Atássut) party that has developed towards favouring more autonomy.[4] Major points of its programme are to improve the education of the Inuit and the housing situation.[2]

History

Established in 2002, the party won five seats in the elections that year. It increased its seat total to seven in the 2005 elections, but was excluded from power by a so-called "Northern Lights Coalition" of Siumut, Inuit Ataqatigiit and Atássut. Its number of seats decreased to four seats in the 2009 elections; however, it entered a government coalition with Inuit Ataqatigiit and the Association of Candidates, removing the formerly dominant Siumut from power for the first time in its history.[2] In the 2013 elections the party won only two seats, but at the 2014 elections the party gained two more seats and has now four seats in the parliament.

Relationships to other parties

The Democrats has traditionally kept itself in the centre of the political scale. Since the early nineties, though, it has cooperated with the Inuit Community Party, the Forward Social Democrats and the Solidarity Liberal Party.

Election results

Parliament of Greenland (Inatsisartut)

Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 ±
2002 4,558 15.9 (#4)
5 / 31
 New
2005 6,595 22.8 (#2)
7 / 31
 Increase 2
2009 3,620 12.7 (#3)
4 / 31
 Decrease 3
2013 1,870 6.2 (#5)
2 / 31
 Decrease 2
2014 3,469 11.8 (#3)
4 / 31
 Increase 2

Parliament of Denmark (Folketinget)

Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 % of
Greenlandic vote		 # of
overall seats won		 # of
Greenlandic seats won		 ±
2005 4,909 21.7 (#3)
0 / 179
0 / 2
 New
2007 4,584 18.5 (#3)
0 / 179
0 / 2
 Steady 0
2011 2,882 12.6 (#3)
0 / 179
0 / 2
 Steady 0
2015 1,753 8.5 (#3)
0 / 179
0 / 2
 Steady 0

References

  1. 1 2 Dahl, Jens (2006). Greenland. The Indigenous World 2006. IWGIA. p. 34.
  2. 1 2 3 Lansford, Tom, ed. (2014). Political Handbook of the World 2014. CQ Press. p. 393.
  3. ↑ Loukacheva, Natalia (2007). The Arctic Promise: Legal and Political Autonomy of Greenland and Nunavut. University of Toronto Press. p. 55.
  4. ↑ Loukacheva (2007). The Arctic Promise. p. 61.

External links


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