Greenland govt’s ‘founding father’ dead at 72
Scandals and alcoholism did not keep Jonathan Motzfeldt from being revered in his homeland For more than 20 years Jonathan Motzfeldt was by far the most visible and important politician in Greenland, helping to give the cold, isolated country its...
For more than 20 years Jonathan Motzfeldt was by far the most visible and important politician in Greenland, helping to give the cold, isolated country its own identity and lessen its dependence on Denmark.
The former premier died yesterday after being admitted to a Nuuk hospital on Wednesday with a lung infection. However, it was an aneurism that was reportedly the cause of the 72-year-old politician’s death.
Motzfeldt entered politics in 1971 after earning a Master’s degree in Theology at the University of Copenhagen. Despite his religion-related degree, he was known to be a hard politician.
In 1971 he was elected to the Greenlandic Council – which was at that time the country’s governmental body. He became the council’s vice-chairman and also president of the Siumut party, long the most powerful in the land.
When Greenland was given Home Rule in 1979, Motzfeldt – known locally as ‘Junnuk’ – became its first premier, holding the post until 1991. Alcohol problems and a series of scandals contributed to his being ousted from the post by Lars Emil Johansen, but he again captured the premier post in 1997, serving until 2002.
He continued to serve as his county chairman until 2008, when a sex scandal led to his resignation. Alcoholism continued to plague him and contributed in large part to the health problems leading to his death yesterday.