Talk with Ms Tove Sovndahl Gant: Greenland – A Self-governed Country in the Arct ****************************************************************************************** * Talk with Ms Tove Sovndahl Gant: Greenland – A Self-governed Country in the Arctic ****************************************************************************************** Almost four times the size of France, but with a population three times smaller than that Plzeň, Greenland is not a country that often makes the headlines. Part of the Kingdom of D 1721, this small Arctic country is now self-governed after a long process that started alm ago. On Tuesday, the 19th November the Scandinavian Section of the Department of Germanist the Faculty of Arts at Charles University hosted a talk with Ms Tove Sovndahl Gant, head o Representation in Copenhagen. Titled “Greenland – a Self-governed Country in the Arctic” M brief history of the devolution process in Greenland and gave an overview of the plans for future. Danish colonists first arrived in Greenland in 1721 and came mainly to the island as missi government officials. In contrast to many of the other colonies of European Empires Greenl settled by the Danish, and the relationship between colony and empire was based mostly on Greenland to a great extent was left behind by the developments of continental Europe, and suffering problems of underdevelopment and poverty. In a bid to improve conditions on the made Greenland an official constituency instead of a colony in 1953 and in the 50s and 60s attempts to develop Greenland, by increasing urbanisation, creating Open Water Towns and b housing, amongst other things. This process was controlled and implemented mainly by the D Greenlanders were encouraged to continue fishing and the young people encouraged to seek a Feelings of alienation and helplessness, as well as resentment of what they perceived as i their fisheries by other EU states after joining the European Economic Community (EEC) gre leading to many social problems. Calls for self-determination led to setting up a Commissi in 1973, and following a referendum in 1979 Greenland’s first Home Rule government was est competency in 16 different policy areas. Home Rule progressed much faster than anticipated in Greenland according to Ms Gant, and b exhausted the potential of the 1979 Home Rule Act. They had also by this time withdrawn fr only country, to date, that has done so). Another commission was set up, and in 2008 anoth resulted in a yes vote in favour of Self- Government. And so on June 21, 2009, their natio Greenland Self-Governance commenced. This meant competency in 33 areas, including immigrat and natural resources, as well as official status for their language and the right to be r independent state.  However self-government also brought new challenges for Greenland, a country that has bee dependent on another state for centuries. For every new policy competency it takes over fr must be able to fund it itself, but with every individual competency costing potentially b krone (DKK) it is no mean feat. And other than the need to reduce dependency on Danish blo Greenland also faces an aging population, unimaginable infrastructure challenges, the need standards of its welfare state, as well as improving wage equality. It seems however to be problems with determination and quiet optimism. Ms Gant described the process by which the their dependency on the block grant they receive yearly from Denmark. The country has many resources, including gold, iron, rubies, titanium, vanadium and Rear Earth Elements. Green increase profits from this sector, and for every year when they make over 75mn DKK the sur divided in two, with half being kept by Greenland and the other half going to Denmark agai grant. It is hoped that this proportion will continue to grow until it is outsizes the blo to a re-negotiation over the funding of Greenland by Denmark. There is also optimism for t fishing industry in Greenland. Accounting for around 90% of exports, according to Ms Gant an eye on whether fish like haddock start swimming further north, and the opening of a Nor could provide many benefits to the Island. In a time where the question of devolution, self-government and independence is one being European states, the case of Greenland is certainly an interesting one. “Greenland, A Self in the Arctic” was certainly a fascinating talk, shedding light on an intriguing, if rathe topic. Elan Grug Muse is in her second year studying for a BA Prague. She is interested in international politics, mu skills.