Greenland creeps towards independence

THIS weeks referendum in Greenland marks a milestone in the protracted divorce proceedings between the worlds largest island and Denmark, one of its smallest colonial powers. Over 75% of Greenlanders voted to give themselves the right to loosen ties with Denmark by slowly taking control of such areas as security, justice and police affairs. The vote also promises Greenland (population: 56,000) a bigger slice of future profits from minerals, including oil, rubies, gold and diamonds. For most Greenlanders, the referendum was as replete with a sense of the righting of historic wrongs as Barack Obamas election in America. Im extremely moved, because now, like other peoples, we will be recognised as a nation, said Hans Enoksen, the premier. Yet although Mr Enoksen wept tears of joy in Nuuk, Greenlands capital, it is premature to assume that full Inuit independence will come quickly. Denmark has ruled Greenland since the 18th century. It conceded limited home rule only in 1979 (Greenland chose to leave the then European Community in 1985). The Danes have conceded that Greenland has a right to divorce. But independence may be a dream that the Greenlanders cannot afford. The population is tiny and the problems vast. The main export is fish and a DKr3.4 billion ($590m) annual grant from Denmark pays for public services like education and health care. Even with the grant, the difference in living standards between Greenland and Denmark is stark. Education is bad, nutrition is poor and problems like alcoholism and child abuse abound. To tackle these problems, Greenlanders would need a bigger source of income than the Danish subsidy, which would presumably be phased out. In theory, this could come from minerals, but exploiting these requires big investment that it might be hard to finance now. Greenlands west coast may hold more oil than the North Sea, but harsh conditions could push the cost of extraction as high as $50 a barrel. Expectations have been unrealistic, says Jens Frederiksen, leader of the Democrats, the only political party in Greenland to oppose this weeks vote. Soren Espersen, a member of parliament for the Danish Peoples Party, is blunter: Greenlanders have been brainwashed by unprecedented propaganda.