COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – A left-wing party that opposes a major rare earth mining project has become the largest in parliament after winning more than a third of the vote in the by-elections.
The outcome of Tuesday’s election calls into question the Kvanefjeld mining complex in the southern Arctic and sends a strong signal to international mining companies that want to exploit the vast untapped mineral resources of Greenland.
The Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) party won 37% of the vote, compared to 26% in the last election four years ago, beating the Social Democratic party Siumut, which won 29% of the vote, according to official results.
The Siumut pro-mining party has been in power for the most part since 1979.
Although not directly opposed to mining, AI has a strong emphasis on the environment. He campaigned to stop the Kvanefjeld project, which, in addition to rare earths, including neodymium – which is used in wind turbines, electric vehicles and combat aircraft – also contains uranium.
“This will undoubtedly hinder the development of mining in Greenland,” said Mikaa Mered, an Arctic lecturer at the HEC Business School in Paris.
While most Greenlanders see mining as an important path to independence, the Kvanefjeld mine has been a battleground for years, sowing deep divisions in government and population over environmental concerns.
“It’s not that the Greenlanders won’t mine, but they won’t mine dirty,” Mered said, referring to uranium and rare earth projects. “Greenlanders send a strong message that it is not worth sacrificing the environment for them to achieve independence and economic development.”
CHALLENGES BEFORE
The island of 56,000 people, which former US President Donald Trump offered to buy in 2019, is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but has a wide autonomy.
IA leader Mute Egede, 34, will be the first to try to form a new government. A potential ally of the government could be Naleraq, an independence party that also opposes the Kvanefjeld project.
The support of Prime Minister Kim Kielsen and his ruling Siumut party helped licensee Greenland Minerals obtain preliminary approval for the project last year, paving the way for a public hearing.
The Australian company has already spent over $ 100 million preparing the mine and demonstrated the processing technology through its Chinese partner Shenghe Resources.
“The challenge for AI will be to explain to the world that Greenland is still open for business and another attractive mining jurisdiction,” said Dwayne Menezes, head of the London-based think tank Polar Research and Policy Initiative.
Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Edited by Andrew Heavens and Timothy Heritage