TY - JOUR

T1 - The development of Greenland’s self-government and independence in the shadow of the unitary state

AU - Jakobsen, Uffe

AU - Larsen, Henrik

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - The article investigates whether the development of Greenland’s autonomy over the past 40 years can be fruitfully understood as a case of path dependency or, alternatively, as a series of changing equilibriums marked by critical junctures. The article addresses the following questions: 1) What were the drivers behind the establishment of Greenlandic home rule in 1979? 2) What were the drivers behind the establishment of Self Government in 2009? 3) What are the implications for today’s constitutional debate in Greenland? It is shown that the 1979 Greenland Home Rule Act followed from a critical juncture triggered by the Greenlandic ‘no’-vote on EU membership. The subsequent 2009 Greenland Self Government Act was, to a large extent, a consequence of endogenous change within a path dependency flowing from the Home Rule Act. The logic from home rule was carried over into self-government: the gradual transfer of policy areas to Greenlandic self-government when Greenland was willing and able to take over the policy areas. It is suggested that there is a potential tension between path dependency arising from the GSGA and intensified Greenlandic expressions of political identity which may challenge the GSGA logic, while there are still dynamics which pull towards the GSGA logic.

AB - The article investigates whether the development of Greenland’s autonomy over the past 40 years can be fruitfully understood as a case of path dependency or, alternatively, as a series of changing equilibriums marked by critical junctures. The article addresses the following questions: 1) What were the drivers behind the establishment of Greenlandic home rule in 1979? 2) What were the drivers behind the establishment of Self Government in 2009? 3) What are the implications for today’s constitutional debate in Greenland? It is shown that the 1979 Greenland Home Rule Act followed from a critical juncture triggered by the Greenlandic ‘no’-vote on EU membership. The subsequent 2009 Greenland Self Government Act was, to a large extent, a consequence of endogenous change within a path dependency flowing from the Home Rule Act. The logic from home rule was carried over into self-government: the gradual transfer of policy areas to Greenlandic self-government when Greenland was willing and able to take over the policy areas. It is suggested that there is a potential tension between path dependency arising from the GSGA and intensified Greenlandic expressions of political identity which may challenge the GSGA logic, while there are still dynamics which pull towards the GSGA logic.

U2 - 10.1080/2154896X.2024.2342117

DO - 10.1080/2154896X.2024.2342117

M3 - Journal article

VL - 14

SP - 9

EP - 27

JO - The Polar Journal

JF - The Polar Journal

SN - 2154-896X

IS - 1

ER -