Greenland's left-wing IA party forms new government

Greenland's left-wing Inuit Ataqatigiit party (IA), which won a snap election in early April, announced a new government coalition on Friday, as it reiterated its strong environmental stance and vowed to combat acute social issues. For only the second time in 40 years, IA won a snap election last week with more than a third of votes, dethroning the ruling Siumut party, which had led every government except one since 1979.

Greenland's left-wing Inuit Ataqatigiit party (IA), which won a snap election in early April, announced a new government coalition on Friday, as it reiterated its strong environmental stance and vowed to combat acute social issues.

For only the second time in 40 years, IA won a snap election last week with more than a third of votes, dethroning the ruling Siumut party, which had led every government except one since 1979. New Prime Minister Mute Egede said at a press conference that IA had agreed with pro-independence party Naleraq to form a government with 16 out of 31 mandates. Liberal-conservative unionist party Atassut will be supporting party with two members of parliament, he said.

"We want to develop Greenland with basis in the population," Egede said. "We need to develop our economy, but it must not happen at the expense of the environment or our nature," he added.

Greenland gained broad autonomy from Denmark in 2009, the last time IA led the country, but the nation of 56,000 people still relies on annual grants from Denmark, to which it also leaves foreign, security and monetary policy.