Greenland’s Siumut party faces new crisis as two MPs defect

The departure of two prominent politicians from Greenland’s ruling Siumut party has left it with just two seats in parliament, raising questions about its future, reports Danish broadcaster DR.

Former party leader and Greenland premier Kim Kielsen and senior MP Vivian Motzfeldt both resigned from Siumut on Monday in protest over the party board’s decision to withdraw from the governing coalition. The move reduces Siumut’s parliamentary presence from four to two seats following the 2025 election.

Motzfeldt criticised the party’s shift to opposition, stating: “I cannot understand how a political organisation can believe it’s best to sit on the sidelines instead of helping solve tasks. That doesn’t align with my values.” Kielsen echoed her stance, calling the decision “wrong and based on an incomprehensible, insufficient foundation” in a statement to Greenlandic broadcaster KNR.

Expert: Defections follow Siumut’s pattern

Senior researcher Ulrik Pram Gad of the Danish Institute for International Studies told DR that internal fractures are nothing new for Siumut, Greenland’s historically dominant party. “This is Siumut in character,” he said, noting past breakaways like the 2014 formation of Naleraq by ex-leader Hans Enoksen and the 2002 split that created Demokraatit.

However, Gad highlighted the current crisis as uniquely critical: “Siumut has survived as an identity-driven movement before, but the question is whether it can continue with just two seats.” He speculated that Motzfeldt and Kielsen—both deeply tied to Siumut’s legacy—might form yet another breakaway party rather than join existing ones.

Impact on US-Greenland talks limited

Motzfeldt had played a key role in US-Greenland relations, co-leading a delegation to Washington earlier this year with Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Following Siumut’s exit from government, foreign affairs minister Jens-Fredrik Nielsen has assumed responsibility for ongoing US negotiations.

Gad downplayed the immediate effect on these talks, noting that “the Trump-related crisis is parked for now” and Denmark’s upcoming election would likely reshuffle the political landscape regardless. “Whoever becomes Danish PM—Løkke, Frederiksen, or Poulsen—they’ve all been involved in handling these issues before,” he said.

DR has requested comment from Siumut leader Aleqa Hammond. In a Friday statement, Hammond asserted that the coalition withdrawal would not disrupt US-Greenland discussions, which remain at the civil service level.