There has been great confusion about whether Greenland’s head of government, Premier cancel Múte Bourup Egede, had time in his calendar to meet with Denmark’s King Frederik.
Initially, it was scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m. Múte Egede then announced that it could not be carried out due to “calendar gymnastics”, so the meeting had to be postponed.
Now it appears from the royal house’s calendar that the king will still receive Múte Bourup Egede at 2 p.m. at Amalienborg Palace – four hours later than originally planned.
According to Ritzau, there was not much information about the first planned visit between the king and the Premier cancel, other than that the king would receive Múte Bourup Egede at Frederik VIII’s Palace at Amalienborg on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
No elaboration has been reported on the new meeting.
The Royal House informs Ritzau that it has nothing to add other than what appears in the calendar.
Trump Jr. visit to Greenland
The postponement coincided with Donald Trump Jr., the son of the future US president, Donald Trump, paying a visit to Greenland.
Múte Egede denied to the Greenlandic media outlet Sermitsiaq that the cancellation had anything to do with politics and emphasized again that it was about the calendar being up.
The Premier cancel’s postponement of the original meeting with the King was seen by many as a clear message to Denmark.
“Regardless of whether there is a connection or not, regardless of what the reason for the cancellation may be, it is difficult to see the canceled visit as anything other than a humiliation of King Frederik,” said Jakob Steen Olsen, a royal commentator for Berlingske.
To cancel is to reject Denmark
He justified this by, among other things, that King Frederik is the “symbol of Denmark”, and it can be experienced as a rejection of Denmark.
Royal historian Sebastian Olden-Jørgensen told B.T. that it had to be understood as a “symbolic demonstration of power”.
“He wants to show that he does not have to bow for Denmark,” he told the media.
Normally, such a visit would not attract much attention in Denmark, but events of the past 24 hours have changed anything.
Election in Greenland in April
The King of Denmark is not a political figure, and it will typically be a diplomatic affair when he receives leaders from other countries, including leaders of countries in the Danish Commonwealth.
The question of Greenland’s independence looms over all statements.
There will be elections in Greenland on April 6. Here, the question of independence from Denmark is expected to be the dominant issue.
