Conclusion:the opportunities and challenges of greenlandic paradiplomacy

• Main Authors: Kristensen, Kristian S., Rahbek-Clemmensen, Jon
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 2018
• Subjects: Arctic; Greenland; Nuuk; Arctic Council; greenlandic; inuit
• Online Access: https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/da/publications/925e96a2-fc1b-455d-b3ae-7ec98eda85e2; https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315162645-12

Greenland uses its postcolonial legacy and high political importance to increase its paradiplomatic room for manoeuvre, but postcolonialism and high politics also entail specific challenges that other paradiplomatic actors rarely face. The postcolonial debt and the possibility of Greenlandic independence clearly give Nuuk leverage vis-à-vis Copenhagen and external actors. Nuuk uses that leverage to play an active role in Arctic politics, both vis-à-vis other Arctic and non-Arctic nations and in forums, such as the Arctic Council, but also with other sub-state groups, most importantly the Inuit. Furthermore, the high political importance of Greenland means that outside actors move to restrict Greenland’s international relations. Domestic and international politics are intertwined in Greenland as domestic politics and national identity are shaped by international affairs, while they conversely shape Greenland’s foreign policy.