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From the British Journal of Sociology, 04 June 2025:
In this research note, we map the power elite in Greenland, amidst the current geopolitical interest in the nation. Using social network analysis, we identify a power elite of 123 individuals as the central circle in an extensive affiliation network data on 3412 positions held by a total 2052 individuals in 456 affiliations. We find an integrated and cohesive power elite dominated by actors from politics and public and private enterprises. When comparing this central circle to the previous studies of power elites in the former colonial power and current sovereign, Denmark, the political sector and the state are stronger in Greenland at the expense of the private sector. However, while the elite is integrated, we also identify potentials of fracturing. Thus we find a division between politicians—who are more likely to have childhood and educational ties to Greenland—and other elite groups—in particular private business—who are more likely to have academic degrees, be male and live in the Capital, Nuuk. The network of the elite is also clearly clustered around the strength of affiliation with Greenlandic society. We conclude by discussing how the potential fracturing of the Greenlandic elite along ethnic division lines may lead to a lack of cohesion and legitimacy entering the current geopolitical tensions surrounding the world's largest island.
‘I think we're going to have it’, President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One on 25 January 2025, doubling down on his desire to buy the island from the Kingdom of Denmark first proposed in 2019. In the weeks before his inauguration, acquiring Greenland became a key means to deliver expanded US territory and reinforced geopolitical strength, culminating with Trump sending his son, Donald Trump Jr., to visit the island. Thus the geopolitical struggle over hegemony of the island's 57,000 inhabitants and more than 2,000,000 square kilometres—more than 50 times the territory of Denmark—is on. The former colonisers of Greenland, the Danish state have been placing their bets on the will of the people of Greenland with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen asserting that ‘Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders’, thus putting the determination of Greenland in the hands of the island's population.1 After the March 2025 elections in Greenland, which saw significant gains for both the centre-right, gradual-independence party Demokraatit and the pro-immediate independence party Naleraq, the battle for the hearts and minds of the Greenlandic people is unfolding. This is also reflected in renewed signs of strong interest from the U.S. administration—most recently with a visit from Vice President J.D. Vance just weeks after the election. Key to this struggle over the future alignment of Greenland is the tiny group of people making key decisions in the country, the Greenlandic power elite. The positioning of this elite could play a key role in deciding an outcome that could shape transatlantic relations in the future.In this research note, we present our analysis of the composition of this power elite. Using social network analysis, we use formal affiliations to identify a core of 123 individuals. By looking at their sectoral affiliation, educational background and ties to the greenlandic society, combining with qualitative interviews, we assess the interests of these key actors in continuation of relation with the colonial power of Denmark versus entering US dominion. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for assessing whether power in Greenland is concentrated within a small elite or more broadly distributed, and the degree to which such power resides among Greenlandic actors or remains in the hands of Danish elites with historical, cultural and institutional ties to Greenland. By mapping these structures, we contribute to a deeper understanding of Greenland's democratic landscape at a time when its political future is being intensely debated. Thus we ask the following research question: Which sectors dominate formal elite networks in Greenland and what does the demographcis to this elite tell about the power structure, and its cohesion, in Greenland? Our results suggest that a substantial part of the power elite in Greenland has strong links to Danish society. However, we also find a divide between those who grew up on the island and thus are likely to have strong embedness with the indigenous population vis-a-vis those with stronger links to Denmark. This could potentially cause a rift in the Greenlandic power elite in which anti-colonial sentiment could lead to a fraction of the political elite going against the general interest of the power elite and use the American overtures as an opportunity to leave, akin to the Brexit movement in the UK....
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