Greenland: The Last Colony in Europe: The history, status and future of Greenland as seen from its closest European neighbour

President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, former President of Iceland (2016–2024) and current Professor of History at the University of Iceland, explores Greenland’s complex path from colony to emerging nation. Drawing on Iceland’s own experience of gaining independence from Denmark, he examines the historical ties, political tensions, and geopolitical stakes that shape Greenland’s future amid growing great-power interest in the Arctic. The lecture offers a unique perspective from Iceland, Europe’s closest neighbour to Greenland, on questions of sovereignty, self-determination, and small-state resilience in an era of global change.