Greenland’s Parliament banned overseas and nameless political funding on Tuesday, within the semiautonomous island’s newest response to President Trump’s acknowledged intentions to purchase it. Greenland’s lawmakers fast-tracked the regulation — an effort to guard in opposition to outdoors interference — earlier than upcoming parliamentary elections.
The regulation is Greenland’s most aggressive effort but to push again in opposition to Mr. Trump, who refused final month to rule out utilizing army power to take the island. The regulation doesn’t straight identify him as a possible marketing campaign contributor, however a proposal that laid out the regulation and its rationale made clear that his insistence impressed its authors.
“Given the geopolitical curiosity in Greenland and the present scenario — the place representatives of an allied nice energy have expressed curiosity in buying and controlling Greenland — the nation is especially susceptible to makes an attempt to affect its elections and political decision-making processes,” the proposal learn.
The regulation was billed as an effort “to safeguard Greenland’s political integrity” within the proposal. Mute B. Egede, Greenland’s premier, proposed holding parliamentary elections on March 11.
Greenlanders have been initially shocked and confused by Mr. Trump’s repeated need that the US take management of the territory. Donald Trump Jr., Mr. Trump’s son, briefly visited the island final month, which added to the hypothesis.
For the US, Greenland sits in a strategic location: The island is dwelling to an American army base and, as local weather change melts the Arctic ice, industrial and naval competitors is rising within the far north. Greenland additionally has huge reserves of uncommon parts and different minerals used to make superior know-how.
“We want it for nationwide safety,” the president has stated.
Greenland has lengthy been tied to Denmark, first as a colony after which as a semiautonomous territory. Since 2009, it has had the suitable to declare independence after a referendum, nevertheless it nonetheless depends on Denmark for its protection, safety and different worldwide affairs.
Greenland’s principally Inuit inhabitants has more and more chafed in opposition to Copenhagen’s oversight. Greenland’s management has flatly and repeatedly rejected Mr. Trump’s advances.
“Greenland is ours,” Mr. Egede stated in a press release late final yr, as Mr. Trump eyed the island. “We’re not on the market and can by no means be on the market.”
Denmark, too, has been rattled: Final week, it stated it might enhance its army spending within the North Atlantic by $2 billion.
The Nordic nation doesn’t wish to set off a commerce battle with the US. After an icy cellphone name with Mr. Trump, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark traveled throughout Europe final week to fulfill with European and NATO leaders to extend assist, do injury management and talk about how to answer Mr. Trump’s intense calls for.
“Trump won’t have Greenland,” stated Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Denmark’s overseas minister and its prime minister throughout Mr. Trump’s first time period.
Greenland’s Parliament, the Inatsisartut, doesn’t want Denmark’s approval to cross the regulation. Its lawmakers moved exceptionally shortly — the invoice was solely launched on Saturday.
“Given the present geopolitical scenario and the upcoming Inatsisartut election, the necessity for such regulation is taken into account pressing,” the proposal learn.
Different international locations, together with the US, limit or ban overseas political funding. Greenland beforehand didn’t restrict or prohibit such contributions, in line with the proposal.
The proposal notes that overseas powers have tried to affect different democratic elections world wide in recent times. The authors particularly pointed to the huge quantity of non-public political donations in the US.
“The initiative is clearly pressing,” stated Ulrik Pram Gad, a researcher on the Danish Institute for Worldwide Research.
He stated donations had not beforehand influenced Greenland’s politics and referred to as the regulation “primarily a safety measure.”
Greenland can be attempting to ward in opposition to overseas pursuits by limiting actual property purchases.
On Monday, lawmakers authorized new laws that will limit land purchases to Danish residents or individuals who have been everlasting residents of Greenland for no less than two years. The principles are anticipated to take impact later this yr.
Greenland has about 56,000 residents and is usually lined in ice. It’s opening as much as the world — it has stated that it’s prepared for enterprise and not too long ago opened a brand new worldwide airport — however its tourism infrastructure is sparse.
International marketing campaign contributions — even these seen as tiny by American requirements — may drastically change Greenland’s political construction: Events have been principally financed by public subsidies, whereas non-public contributions have “constituted an insignificant half” of its political financing, the proposal learn.
“The views of this potential risk are alarming,” it learn. “Donations that will be modest on a global scale could be colossal in a Greenlandic election marketing campaign.”
Political events will now not be allowed to obtain overseas or nameless contributions. Neither will native and youth branches of events, lawmakers, aides and candidates.
The brand new regulation will even cap the quantity of personal political donations. A political get together can obtain solely about $28,000 in non-public donations a yr. Particular person donors can solely give about $2,800. The regulation additionally strengthens and broadens disclosure necessities, amongst different concerns.
“Disproportionately giant non-public donations may weaken public confidence within the integrity of political processes,” the proposal learn.
