Greenland’s representative in the Danish parliament, Folketing, in Copenhagen, Aki Matilda Hogh-Dam, gave a speech in Greenland on Thursday. Prior to giving her address in her mother tongue, she gave the members the Danish version of the speech.
She is fluent in Danish and belongs to the Inuit, an ethnic community that is part of the social democratic Siumut party. Speaker Soren Gade asked her if she would repeat her speech in Danish once she finished speaking in Greenlandic. “I won’t,” she said.
Then, stating that her speech could not be debated unless it was given in Danish, he requested her to step down from the podium. She was adamant that her Greenlandic speech be translated into Danish at the same time. She was describing her party’s position which was what the debate was about. By asking her to leave the podium, Speaker Gade made it evident that her speech could not be debated.
Originally a Danish Crown province, Greenland gained independence in 1979 and became an autonomous region in 2009. Schools in Greenland teach Danish. However, Denmark has been charged by Greenland of misconduct on the big Arctic island during the past century. Denmark and the island have had tense political ties for many years. However, Denmark provides Greenland with yearly financial support, which in 2024 will amount to 4 billion kroner ($600 million). There are 57,000 people living in Greenland. Greenland is also calling for its own country.
