Jens-Frederik Nielsen
Jens-Frederik Nielsen | |
|---|---|
Nielsen in 2026 | |
| Prime Minister of Greenland | |
| Assumed office 7 April 2025 | |
| Monarch | Frederik X |
| Preceded by | Múte Bourup Egede |
| Chair of the Demokraatit Party | |
| Assumed office 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Niels Thomsen |
| Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources | |
| In office 29 May 2020 – 8 February 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Kim Kielsen |
| Preceded by | Jess Svane |
| Succeeded by | Naaja Nathanielsen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1991 or 1992 (age 34–35) |
| Party | Demokraatit |
| Alma mater | University of Greenland |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Badminton | ||
| Representing Greenland | ||
| Island Games | ||
| 2009 Åland | Team | |
| 2015 Jersey | Men's doubles | |
| 2017 Gotland | Men's doubles | |
| 2019 Gibraltar | Men's singles | |
| 2019 Gibraltar | Team | |
| 2023 Guernsey | Men's singles | |
| 2023 Guernsey | Team | |
Jens-Frederik Nielsen (born 1991 or 1992) is a Greenlandic politician who has served as the prime minister of Greenland since 2025. He is the leader of the Demokraatit party (the Democrats), and he formerly served as the Minister of Labour and Mineral Resources during the Kielsen VII Cabinet of May 2020 to February 2021. Nielsen is the first member of the Democrats to hold the office of prime minister. Before entering politics, he was a champion badminton player.
Early life and education
Jens-Frederik Nielsen was born in 1991 or 1992[1] and raised in Greenland.[2] His Danish father moved to Greenland as a child, while his Greenlandic Inuit mother was born and raised there.[3] Nielsen grew up in Nuuk.[2][1]
Nielsen has described experiencing bullying during his childhood because of his mixed background and appearance, stating that he was targeted by other pupils for "looking Danish", despite attending the Greenlandic language class and having a Greenlandic mother. He has also noted that socioeconomic differences – his primary school was located in a socially disadvantaged area of Nuuk, while he lived in a different district – contributed to his treatment at school. Nielsen has stated that these experiences influenced his political views and his advocacy for a diverse and inclusive Greenland, with equal space for all who wish to contribute to society.[4]
Nielsen earned a degree in social science from the University of Greenland.[2][1]
Badminton
Nielsen became a member of the Greenland national badminton team in 2009,[5] and won the singles and doubles championships in most years for several years. He also won a number of medals at the Island Games,[1] including the gold medal in men's singles badminton in the 2023 Island Games.[5]
Political career
In 2020, Nielsen was elected to succeed Niels Thomsen as chair of the Demokraatit party[6] (the Democrats).[1] He was reelected to the role in March 2024.[6]
In May 2020, Nielsen was named the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources as part of the Kielsen VII Cabinet,[7][8] but lost the role after he withdrew his party from the government shortly afterwards.[1]
Political views
After Russian forces had begun their war of aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Nielsen urged Polar Seafood A/S to halt its Russian operations, emphasising the need to pressure Russia and restore peace in Europe.[9]
Nielsen has advocated for reducing reliance on Denmark's block grant by prioritising business development and economic self-sufficiency in Greenland.[2]
Prime Minister of Greenland (2025-present)
In the general election in March 2025, the Democrats more than tripled their seats,[1] and Nielsen received 4,850 personal votes. Incumbent Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede received 3,276 votes.[10]
On 27 August 2025, Nielsen, along with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, issued an official apology on behalf of the Danish and Greenlandic governments for historic abuses against Greenlandic women, including forced contraception.[11]
United States threats
On 20 January 2025, Donald Trump began his second term as U.S. president. In March 2025, Nielsen condemned Trump's threats to invade Greenland, stating that "We don't want to be Americans. No, we don't want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders. And we want our own independence in the future..."[12] Nielsen said Trump will not "get" Greenland.[13] Shortly before Vice President of the United States JD Vance and his wife Usha arrived to visit the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on 29 March 2025, a four-party coalition government was announced by Nielsen.[1][14] He also showed his solidarity with Denmark in the face of the US threat, when went on an official visit with Frederiksen to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron.[1]
In April 2025, a plan by the US for undermining the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark through a campaign of foreign interference and disinformation on social media became known.[15] The official Danish threat assessment published by the Danish Defence Intelligence Service in 2025 for the first time mentioned the US as a threat to national security, alongside Russia and China.[16][17][18] Frederiksen reminded Trump that an attack on the Kingdom of Denmark is an attack on NATO, and that all NATO members are obligated to come to Denmark's defence. Greenland, as part of Denmark, is a member of NATO and therefore covered by the collective security guarantee.[19]
On 13 January 2026, ten days after US troops had attacked Venezuela and captured Maduro and his wife, Nielsen and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said in a joint press conference that the US pressure campaign against Greenland was unacceptable, and that Greenland is not for sale. Nielsen emphasised that talk about buying another people shows a lack of respect.[20] Nielsen said:[21]
One thing must be clear to everyone: Greenland does not want to be owned by the US, Greenland does not want to be governed by the US, Greenland does not want to be part of the US. We choose the Greenland we know today, which is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
In response to Nielsen stating that Greenland had no wish to become part of the US, Trump said in January 2026 that he did not know who the Greenlandic prime minister was, stating: "I disagree with them. I don't know who he is, don't know anything about him, but that's going to be a big problem".[22]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Bryant, Miranda (31 January 2026). "'Under pressure': Greenland's PM gains fans at home and abroad after his rebuke of Trump". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 February 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
The 34-year-old was sworn in last April
- ^ a b c d Gronholt-Pedersen, Jacob (28 March 2025). "Who is Greenland's new prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen?". Reuters. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ Petersen, Jacob Qvirin (22 May 2019). "Så render en lille grønlænder som mig rundt derinde". sport.tv2.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ^ "Hvem er grønlenderen som taler Trump midt imot? Dette er Jens-Frederik Nielsen". Aftenposten. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ a b Tobiassen, Nukaaka (18 July 2023). "Island Games: Overrasket Jens-Frederik Nielsen vandt guld". KNR (in Danish). Archived from the original on 29 March 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ a b Veirum, Thomas Munk (16 March 2024). "Demokraatit-formand fortsætter på posten". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). Archived from the original on 29 March 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ "Jens Frederik Nielsen". Nordic Co-operation. The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ "New minister for the mineral resources area". Mineral Resources Authority. 3 June 2020. Archived from the original on 8 January 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ "Polar Seafood under politisk pres: - Stop al produktion i Rusland og forlad landet". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 18 March 2022. Archived from the original on 29 March 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ "Demokraatit-formand overgår regeringschef". TV 2 (Danish TV channel) (in Danish). 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ "Denmark and Greenland apologize for painful legacy of forced Inuit contraception". AP News. 27 August 2025. Archived from the original on 27 August 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
- ^ Lauritzen, Pia (11 March 2025). "Greenland Has Spoken: What Trump Doesn't Get About Us". Forbes. Archived from the original on 13 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ "Greenland's Prime Minister Says the U.S. Will Not 'Get' the Island". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 March 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ Bryant, Miranda (28 March 2025). "JD Vance to expect frosty reception in Greenland amid diplomatic row". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 June 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "USA har planen klar for å overta Grønland". Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 11 April 2025. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
- ^ "Danish intelligence classifies Trump's America as a security risk". Politico. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ^ "A sentence about the USA in a new threat assessment". Politiken. Archived from the original on 23 December 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Danish Intelligence Warns U.S. "Hemispheric Approach" Raises Arctic Security Uncertainty". High North News. Archived from the original on 23 December 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Denmark's prime minister says Trump is serious about Greenland's annexation". European Interest. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Danmark og Grønland i strupen på Donald Trump og USA: – Respektløst" [Denmark and Greenland Lash Out at Donald Trump and the U.S.: 'Disrespectful']. Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 16 January 2026. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "'We choose Denmark' over the US, Greenland's PM says". DW. Archived from the original on 13 January 2026. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "'It's A Big Problem': Trump's Warning After Greenland "Chooses" Denmark". NDTV. 14 January 2026. Archived from the original on 14 January 2026. Retrieved 14 January 2026.