Atassut Explained

Country:	Greenland
Abbreviation:	A
Leader:	Aqqalu Jerimiassen
Foundation:	29 April 1978
National:	Venstre
Headquarters:	Nuuk, Greenland
Position:	Centre-right^[1]
Affiliation1 Title:	Nordic affiliation
Affiliation1:	Centre Group
Seats1 Title:	Inatsisartut
Seats2 Title:	Municipalities
Seats3 Title:	Folketing (Greenland seats)

Atassut (English: "Cohesion/Link/Togetherness/Solidarity"; also referred to as Feeling of Community^[2]) is a liberal-conservative^[3] and unionist political party in Greenland. Founded on 29 April 1978,^{[4] [5]} Atassut is an established partner of the Liberal Party of Denmark.^[6]

History

Atassut was established in late 1976 as a political movement of conservative and unionist forces in Greenland to oppose Siumut with Lars Chemnitz as its leading figure;^[6] however, it soon became more liberal.

Its first programme from January 1977 stated that its purpose was to "promote Greenlandic home rule within the Unity of the Realm" and "work against secession from the Danish realm."

Atassut was founded as a political party on 29 April 1978.^[6] The party's name literally translates as "link" (in the context of being linked with Denmark as part of the Danish realm), but can also refer to a roof which binds a house together.

Previously one of the two largest and most influential political parties in Greenland, the Atassut has seen its share of the popular vote consistently decline since the mid-1990s.

In the 2001 Folketing election, the party lost its only representative and has never regained a seat in the Danish parliament.

In the June 2009 snap election, the party dropped to 10.9% of the vote, and lost three of its six seats. In the following election in 2013 the party was reduced to two seats, which they maintained in the 2014 elections despite fewer votes. Both MPs later defected to Siumut, one of whom was its chairman Knud Kristiansen.^[7]

From the 2014 parliamentary election to 2016, Atassut was a part of a coalition government, led by Kim Kielsen from Siumut, that also including the Inuit Ataqatigiit.

In debate of refugees in Greenland in 2017, Atassut and Atassut Youths have been strong on not accepting refugees in to Greenland, where Inuit Ataqatigiit and Siumut want to take in refugees.^{[8] [9]}

In the 2018 general election, Atassut gained two seats in the Inatsisartut despite having no incumbents after both their MPs had defected to Siumut. In the 2021 election, Atassut retained its two seats.^[10] Following the election, Atassut offered external support to the governing coalition formed by the Inuit Ataqatigiit and Naleraq parties.^[11]

Ideology

Atassut has been referred to as liberal,^{[12] [13]} conservative,^{[14] [15]} and liberal-conservative.^{[3] [11]} The party supports privatisation of public industries, a form of citizen's income, NATO co-operation, and Greenlandic affiliation with the European Union.^[6]

The party was previously opposed to Greenlandic home rule;^[16] Atassut later shifted to supporting home rule and autonomy, but without leaving the unity of the Realm.^[17] The party has moved from a traditional right-wing position towards later supporting the subsidisation of primary-sector business, alongside the centre-left Siumut party.^[16]

Election results

Parliament of Greenland (Inatsisartut)

Election year	of overall votes	% of overall vote	of overall seats won	±
1979	7,688	41.7 (#2)		New
1983	11,443	46.6 (#1)		4
1984	9,873	43.8 (#2)		1
1987	10,044	40.1 (#1)		0
1991	7,536	30.1 (#2)		3
1995	7,674	30.1 (#2)		2
1999	7,100	25.2 (#2)		2
2002	5,780	20.2 (#3)		1
2005	5,528	19.1 (#4)		1
2009	3,094	10.9 (#4)		3
2013	2,454	8.1 (#3)		1
2014	1,919	6.5 (#5)		0
2018	1,730	5.9 (#5)		0
2021	1,878	7.1 (#5)		0

Parliament of the Kingdom of Denmark (Folketinget)

Election year	Votes	% of Greenlandic vote	Seats won	±
1979	6,390	44.9 (#1)		New
1981	9,223	48.9 (#1)		0
1984	9,308	43.5 (#1)		0
1987	6,627	41.3 (#2)		0
1988	8,135	38.7 (#2)		0
1990	7,087	36.6 (#2)		0
1994	7,501	34.7 (#2)		0
1998	8,569	36.0 (#2)		0
2001	5,138	22.1 (#3)		1
2005	3,774	16.4 (#4)		0
2007	4,094	16.3 (#4)		0
2011	1,706	7.6 (#4)		0
2015	1,528	7.6 (#4)		0
2019	1,098	5.5 (#6)		0
2022	720	3.7 (#5)		0

Atassut was already established as a political movement at the time of the Folketing election on 15 February 1977, and the three Atassut founders Arqalo Abelsen, Ole Berglund and Otto Steenholdt ran as an association of candidates, which got 8,391 votes and Otto Steenholdt elected.^[18]

Leaders

• 2019– Aqqalu Jerimiassen^[19]
• 2017–2019 Siverth K. Heilmann^[20]
• 2017 Qulutannguaq Inuk Berthelsen (acting; after Knud Kristiansen left the party)^[21]
• 2014–2017 Knud Kristiansen^[22]
• 2009–2014 Gerhardt Petersen
• 2005–2009 Finn Karlsen
• 2002–2005 Augusta Salling^[23]
• 1993–2002 Daniel Skifte^[24]
• 1989–1993 Konrad Steenholdt
• 1985–1989 Otto Steenholdt^{[25] [26]}
• 1979–1984 Lars Chemnitz^[27]

External links

• Atassut official site (archive)

Notes and References

1. Book: Europe Review 2003/04: The Economic and Business Report. 2003. Kogan Page Publishers. 978-0-7494-4067-1. 163.
2. Book: Barry Turner. The Statesman's Yearbook 2001: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World. 2000. Palgrave Macmillan UK. 978-0-230-27129-6. 530.
3. Book: Christina Bergqvist. Appendix II. Equal Democracies?: Gender and Politics in the Nordic Countries. https://books.google.com/books?id=t8bfrJvsfJ8C&pg=PA319. 1999. Nordic Council of Ministers. 978-82-00-12799-4. 319.
4. Web site: Tímarit.is. Landsbókasafn Íslands-. Háskólabókasafn. timarit.is.
5. Book: Encyclopedia of the Arctic. 2004-11-03. Routledge. 9781579584368. Nuttall. Mark. 168.
6. Book: Mark Nuttall. Encyclopedia of the Arctic. 2012. Routledge. 978-1-136-78680-8. 168–169.
7. Web site: Kruse. Kathrine. 2018-02-08. Atassut vil stoppe partihoppere ved klausul. Atassut wants to stop party jumpers by clause. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20180304213622/https://sermitsiaq.ag/atassut-stoppe-partihoppere-ved-klausul. 2018-03-04. 2021-04-06. Sermitsiaq AG.
8. Web site: Hansen. Nukappiaaluk. 2017-02-01. Atassut Ungdom ønsker ikke at tage imod flygtninge. Atassut Youth does not want to accept refugees. live. 2021-04-06. Sermitsiaq.AG. https://web.archive.org/web/20170201175923/http://sermitsiaq.ag/node/193651 . 2017-02-01 .
9. Web site: Dollerup-Scheibel. Mads. 2015-09-09. Steen Lynge: Grønland har ikke råd til flygtninge. Steen Lynge: Greenland cannot afford refugees. live. 2021-04-06. Sermitsiaq.AG. https://web.archive.org/web/20160123212134/http://sermitsiaq.ag/node/181799 . 2016-01-23 .
10. Web site: Kalaallit Nunaanni Qinersinerit - Valg i Grønland - Elections in Greenland. 2021-07-27. qinersineq.gl.
11. Web site: Greenland's left-wing IA party forms new government, vows to block rare-earth mine. April 16, 2021. Reuters.
12. Book: Lars Toft Rasmussen. Greenlandic and Danish attitudes to Canadian Arctic Shipping. Franklyn Griffiths. Politics of the Northwest Passage. https://books.google.com/books?id=kDA3XNEiCH4C&pg=PA140. 1987. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. 978-0-7735-0613-8. 140.
13. Book: Andrew J. Hund. Antarctica and the Arctic Circle: A Geographic Encyclopedia of the Earth's Polar Regions. 2014. ABC-CLIO. 978-1-61069-393-6. 316.
14. Book: Maher . Joanne . The Europa World Year Book - 2008. . 2008 . . New York . 9781857434514 . 1552 . 49th.
15. Book: Diana Vinding. The Indigenous World 2004. 2004. IWGIA. 978-87-90730-83-3. 28.
16. Book: Loukacheva. Arctic Promise: Legal and Political Autonomy of Greenland and Nunavut. University of Toronto Press. 2007. 9781442684874. 61.
17. Book: Loukacheva. Arctic Promise: Legal and Political Autonomy of Greenland and Nunavut. University of Toronto Press. 2007. 9781442684874. 55.
18. Web site: Oplysning. Folketingets. 2005. Folketingsvalgene i Grønland 1977-2019. The Parliamentary Elections in Greenland 1977-2019. live. 2021-04-06. www.ft.dk. PDF. https://web.archive.org/web/20170624154146/http://www.ft.dk:80/~/media/sites/ft/pdf/folkestyret/valg-og-afstemninger/valgresultater-grnland.ashx?la=da . 2017-06-24 .
19. Web site: Kristiansen. Kassaaluk. 2019-11-09. Aqqalu Jerimiassen bliver formand for Atassut. Aqqalu Jerimiassen becomes chairman of Atassut. live. 2021-04-06. Sermitsiaq.AG. https://web.archive.org/web/20191109220022/https://sermitsiaq.ag/node/217352 . 2019-11-09 .
20. Web site: 2017-02-19. Atassut har fået ny formand. Atassut has a new chairman. live. 2021-04-06. Sermitsiaq.AG. https://web.archive.org/web/20170327005231/http://sermitsiaq.ag/node/194221 . 2017-03-27 .
21. News: Hansen. Nukappiaaluk. Fungerende formand: Erfarne politikere har flygtet fra ansvaret. da. 11 January 2017. 12 January 2017. Sermitsiaq.ag.
22. Web site: Krarup. Paul. 2014-09-27. Knud Kristiansen er ny formand for Atassut. Knud Kristiansen is the new chairman of Atassut. live. 2021-04-06. Sermitsiaq.AG. https://web.archive.org/web/20150922205400/http://sermitsiaq.ag/node/171797 . 2015-09-22 .
23. Web site: Sommer. Karsten Sommer. 2005-01-19. Atassut klar med kandidatlisten. Atassut ready with the candidate list. live. 2021-04-06. KNR. https://web.archive.org/web/20141209223815/http://knr.gl/da/nyheder/atassut-klar-med-kandidatlisten . 2014-12-09 .
24. Web site: Otto Steenholdt ekskluderet fra Atassut. May 1, 2000. jyllands-posten.dk.
25. Book: Nuttall, Mark. Encyclopedia of the Arctic. September 23, 2005. Routledge. 9781136786808. Google Books.
26. Web site: Otto Steenholdt . Den Store Danske . 2020-05-07 . da . 2021-04-06.
27. Web site: Lars Chemnitz . Den Store Danske . 2020-05-07 . da . 2021-04-06.