Greenlandic Perspectives on Offshore Oil and Gas Activities – An Illustration of Changes in Legitimacy Related to Democratic Decision Processes

Abstract

Greenland is a young democracy. Home Rule was obtained in 1979 and Self Rule was introduced in 2009. The three eras covering before, during and after Home Rule have had each a set of formal and factual legitimacy related to democratic decision processes. Three campaigns of offshore oil exploration have been conducted, one during each of the three eras. This paper describes and analyses the changes in the legislation about the subsurface in relation to the three campaigns of offshore oil exploration and other significant industrial activities during the three eras. The aim is to further understanding of 1) the shifting conditions for democratic processes and how these shifts have created changes in the legitimacy of the execution of the democratic processes and 2) how pubic legitimacy changes in relation to the industrial activities from era to era. Keywords: Legitimacy, legislation about subsurface, offshore oil exploration, Greenland