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Siumut
Political party in Greenland From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Siumut (SIU, Greenlandic: Siumut [siumut]; Danish: Fremad; lit. 'Forward') is a political party in Greenland in the social democratic tradition.[8][9][10] Since the establishment of home rule in 1979, it has been the dominant party in Greenland. Siumut is led by Erik Jensen, who beat the then-incumbent Prime Minister Kim Kielsen in a tight leadership contest in late 2020.[11] Party members have been elected to both the parliament of Greenland and the parliament of Denmark.
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History
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Siumut was formed in 1971 as a political movement, and became a party in 1977. Following the establishment of home rule in Greenland in January 1979, the party won 13 of 21 seats in the 1979 Greenlandic general election for the newly formed Parliament of Greenland (Inatsisartut), and party chairman Jonathan Motzfeldt became the first Prime Minister of Greenland.[5][9]
Following the 1991 Greenlandic general election, Motzfeldt stepped down and was replaced by Lars Emil Johansen, also of Siumut, who governed in coalition with Inuit Ataqatigiit.[5]
Between 1997 and 2002, Motzfeldt was again Prime Minister, until he was succeeded by Hans Enoksen.[9] In the 15 November 2005 general election, the party won 30.7% of the popular vote and 10 out of 31 seats in the parliament. In the 2009 general election, it won 26.5% of the popular vote and nine seats, but the further left and more nationalist Inuit Ataqatigiit won 14 seats and 44% of the popular vote, a landslide victory. Enoksen resigned as party leader and Prime Minister.
Under new party leader Aleqa Hammond, the 2013 election saw Siumut win 42.8% of the popular vote and 14 out of 31 seats, and form a coalition with support of the unionist Atassut and the eco-socialist Inuit Party. The coalition collapsed in 2014, triggering a new election that year. Siumut remained the largest party in the Inatsisartut, but won three fewer seats. New party leader Kim Kielsen replaced Hammond as Prime Minister, forming a coalition with Atassut and the Democrats. Siumut further declined to nine seats in the 2018 Greenlandic general election, though Kielsen was able to lead another coalition. The party gained one seat at the 2021 election, but Inuit Ataqatigiit surpassed Siumut to become the largest party in the Inatsisartut and Kielsen was replaced as Prime Minister by IA's Múte Bourup Egede.
On 10 February 2025, Folketing member Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam departed Siumut and joined Naleraq, claiming that Siumut was insufficiently committed to Greenlandic independence.[12] Her departure meant Siumut was unrepresented in the Folketing for the first time since 1998. The next month, Siumut suffered an historic defeat at the 2025 general election, winning just four seats and falling to fourth place in the Inatsisartut; the party had never had fewer than nine seats and had never been smaller than the second-largest party in the Inatsisartut. Siumut did ultimately join the Democrats-led governing coalition, which included four of the five parties in the Inatsisartut.
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Positions
The party was an observer affiliate of the Socialist International.[13]
Siumut representatives sitting in the Danish parliament have been attached to the parliamentary group of the Social Democrats.[9]
Election results
Inatsisartut
Folketing
Party leaders
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Notes
- Since 2021
- Prior to 2021
- In the 1994 Danish general election, an independent won a seat in the Danish Parliament, but it seems the Siumut party did not contest that particular election.
External links
References
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