# "The old world is gone and it will not return." **Date de l'événement :** 28/01/2026 * Publié le 28/01/2026 ### Date 28/01/2026 ## Chapô **A historical moment. On 28 January, a few hours before they meet with President Macron, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister (and Chairman of Naalakkersuisut) Jens-Frederik Nielsen shared their analyses with Sciences Po students on the “Greenland moment” Europe is currently experiencing. Questioned by writer and author of _The Hour of the Predator_, Giuliano da Empoli, they acknowledged the end of an international order inherited from 1945, affirmed the need for Europe’s strategic rearmament, and highlighted the decisive intrusion of Big Tech into our democracies.** ## Corps du texte _**Luis Vassy, President of Sciences Po:**_ Today, as you have chosen Sciences Po to discuss the situation in the Arctic, I want to say two simple things about us. First, this school was created after the defeat of France against Prussia in 1871 with one simple yet fundamental question: can democracies be more efficient than their authoritarian rivals. Dear Prime Ministers, your presence here shows that this remains a very valid question for Europe. Second, we think here that freedom needs courage. Not only physical courage, but also the courage to understand the world as it is, and to think always outside of one’s comfort zone. Think critically and be ambitious.  Every alliance is threatened by excessive dependence and by imbalance. We are too dependent : 85% of our defence equipment, all of our payment systems, our digital platforms and part of our energy.  We don’t want that: we want friendship and solidarity between equals and that means courage.  As Pericles, quoted by Thucydides, reminds us: “the secret of happiness is freedom and the secret of freedom is courage”. And after all, is it not what we do here, at Sciences Po: ensuring that the generations of future leaders we train on these very benches enjoy happiness through freedom, as they deserve?  Madam Prime Minister, Mister Prime Minister, thank you once again for being with us, and I now give you the floor.  _**Giuliano da Empoli, Essayist and Former Political Adviser:**_ Ernest Hemingway used to say that “courage is grace under pressure”, and I think that is what you have shown over the last few weeks, both of you, at a very crucial moment. So it is really an honour to have you here. Prime Minister Nielsen: what does it feel like to be at the centre of the world stage? _**Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Prime Minister of Greenland:**_ Of course, it is serious. We are under pressure, serious pressure. I am the government leader for Greenland, and I have to take care of my people. We live in a huge country. We are 57,000. And right now, we are trying to handle our people who are afraid, scared. Imagine you are living in peace, have been a loyal partner to the alliance, and suddenly you have to make your people feel safe because they are scared, because some of your partners are actually talking about acquiring your land, taking it, and they are not ruling out using weapons. It is serious. The feeling in Greenland has not been good. It is still not good. The feeling of having good friends is important, and that is how we try to tell the people back home who are afraid of the world order falling, afraid of the lack of respect for international law and principles, and so on. We are proud. We will not give in. But of course we have a population we need to take care of, and that’s what we do now. "_The world order as we’ve known it since the end of the Second World War is over._" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _**Giuliano da Empoli:**_ I can tell you frankly that you have good friends here. And I think over these last few weeks, people here have reacted to these events as if it was something personally affecting us. I think this has been true in France, it’s been true all over Europe. So you can count on that.  Prime Minister Frederiksen, I am going to quote you. On January 5th, you went on Danish television and you said: “If the US chooses to attack another NATO country, then everything stops, including NATO and the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War. And this, I think, was one of those moments that crystallized something. Now people are talking about a “Greenland moment” for Europe, like a wake-up call.  But there have been wake-up calls before. The problem with wake-up calls is that you need to get out of bed after you get the call, which maybe has not always been the case for Europe until now. Now we could argue that maybe Europe has got out of bed, and things are starting to happen. There’s a flurry of initiatives: the European Parliament and others. So I would like to understand from you: where do you think we stand at this point, and what should we focus on? _**Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark:**_ First of all, thank you for your great support for Greenland and for the Kingdom of Denmark in these challenging times we are facing. What are we facing as Europeans? I think what people recognise now during this conflict about Greenland is that much more is at stake than your country and our kingdom. The world order as we know it, that we have been fighting for 80 years since the end of the Second World War, is over. And I don’t think it will return. What we have seen during the last couple of weeks is a lesson that has to be learned: Europe has to stay united. And when I talk about a united Europe, I’m not seeking EU 27, because my colleague Viktor Orbán cannot be in a position where he takes the decision on behalf of Europe. When I talk about European unity, I’m looking at the majority of Europeans, the majority of European countries and leaders. Are we on the same page? We are on the same page now. We understand that sometimes you have to be able to write the conclusion before you write the book. And on this question about Greenland, you have to write the conclusion. And the conclusion is, of course, that you can never compromise on democratic values. That’s it. It’s difficult and it’s easy at the same time, because when you start to compromise on your democratic values, then it is game over. So the conclusion is that you, as a people, have your right to self-determination, to your own future. Denmark, as a kingdom, is a sovereign state. One of the most basic democratic rules and values is that territorial integrity has to be respected. Next to that: don’t threaten an ally. Especially in this world, with a very aggressive Russia attacking a European country. They are killing Europeans as we speak. And I am very sure that if we allow them to win in Ukraine, they will continue. They will come back in Ukraine, or they will proceed to another European country. So we have a very aggressive Russia. They get help from Iran, North Korea, and China. In this situation, the best way forward for the US and Europe is to stick together, not to have internal conflict. So the conclusion has to be very clear. We will, of course, try to find a way forward with the US. We share some of the same concerns about security in the Arctic region and so on. But the conclusion has to be on the table from the very beginning. What I hope Europeans now understand is that if we have to stay united and stand up. When the US said, “We’ve got to put tariffs on the countries who are helping in Greenland,” Europe responded: we disagree with a war on tariff, of course, but if you’re going to put tariffs on us, we have to respond. And I think that was one of the game changers, because it influenced immediately in the US, also on the stock markets. One of the things I would like to share with you is that we have to take the lessons down and know how to respond to the next crisis or challenge that we will probably see from our friends, allies, and partners in the US. “_Rearming ourselves now is the most important thing._”  -------------------------------------------------------- The Secretary General of NATO (Mark Rutte) made some remarks in front of the European Parliament a couple of days ago. He said: “If anyone thinks here, again, that the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the US, keep on dreaming.” I was born in 1977. I was raised to be grateful and thankful to the US. It is part of me. I know that they saved us in 1945, and I will always be thankful to the US for what they did. I am a strong believer in the transatlantic alliance. I am a NATO person in my heart, and I will never do anything that would harm the alliance between the US and Europe. But we have to be realistic, and we have to be able to see what is going on. I think we made a big mistake as Europeans when we cut down our military expenses. It was a huge mistake, not only because Russia did the opposite and made themselves ready to attack, but also because this is a question about identity. If Europeans are not able and willing to protect ourselves and, at the end of the day, to pay the highest price, then what are we? So the message we sent to the US was: we got to spend money on welfare, tax reductions, culture, education, whatever, and we hope that if something goes wrong, you will come and save us. That was a mistake. I’m not saying this because of what is going on in the US. I’m saying this as a European leader. For me, the most important thing is to rearm ourselves, not by 2035, which has been decided in NATO, because that is far too late. Rearming ourselves now is the most important thing. The US depends on us. That’s why we have NATO. It’s the idea of NATO that no country should be able to do everything on its own. We are here to help each other. It will be extremely difficult for Europe to defend itself right now, because when you look at intelligence, nuclear weapons, and so on, we depend on the US. But I think we are able to do more than what is being said publicly right now. And I know that if we did everything we should do, then we would be in a very different place in just a few years from now. But it will take a lot of us. **“_I am a strong believer in the transatlantic alliance._”**  -------------------------------------------------------------- **_Giuliano da Empoli:_** Prime Minister Nielsen, I was curious to understand how the feeling and the relationship of Greenland towards Europe has evolved over the last year. Do you think your people feel more European now? What do you expect from Europe going on? _**Jens-Frederik Nielsen:**_ It’s a really good question, actually, from a Greenlandic perspective. We have been working for a couple of years on strengthening our cooperation with the European Union. We have an agreement and for a couple of years we have actually tried to build that wider and better. But over the last year, the Greenlandic people definitely look more towards Europe than ever before, towards the Kingdom of Denmark more than ever before, and there are discussions about being a member of the European Union again. It’s like it has been brushed up. We are not naive in Greenland. The discussion about us is not only about us. We are a puzzle in a big game in a changing world. Right now, as I see it, the world order is at stake. For us, there is no question: democracy, the principles built up over the last 80 years after the Second World War, the alliance, NATO, those are our values in Greenland. We will work together and build partnerships with like-minded countries that respect democracy, the international rule of law, and would never threaten allies or partners. The Greenlandic people are definitely looking towards Europe. We see it, as we see the world right now, as the only possibility if we want to keep our values of democracy and principles. Then of course, Europe and NATO. Those are our values in Greenland. We are a proud people. We have quite a different culture from other European country, but we look towards that. We wish and hope for a united and strong Europe, because we see the tendencies in the world and we want to be part of that. We have been a loyal ally to the US for 80 years, and to NATO, and Greenland is ready to contribute more. There has been a change in the way of looking at it in Greenland over the last couple of years. We have been deeming no military at all, and that has been the way in Greenland. But we are definitely ready to contribute more now to a worldwide changing situation. We have been through a lot over the last year, but we do agree on one thing: we need more surveillance and security in our region. Because the way Russia acts now doesn’t feel as safe as it has been before.  _**Giuliano da Empoli:**_ So, we’ve been talking about external front lines and military threats, but I think we obviously also have an internal front line, internal to the functioning of our democracies. We have, in many places, increasingly broken governance and a public sphere that is deteriorating and polarizing. It becomes more and more difficult to have even a reasonable conversation or democratic discussion about any subject. You have an increasing part of the electorate that is disaffected with democracy and democratic procedures, that thinks that maybe someone who comes with simpler, easier, more immediate solutions is more attractive.  The real nightmare for Europe in 2030 might not be a military invasion, but rather many European countries each rearming separately, ruled by increasingly nationalistic forces, going in very different directions and fragmenting. This is obviously the dream of all the enemies of Europe right now. How can we fight that?   _**Mette Frederiksen:**_ I see many similarities with what went on in our world between the two world wars and what is taking place now. Not that you can link it one-to-one, because you can never do that, but the way the algorithms are working, the fact that social media is now in many countries playing a bigger role than traditional media, that we lose our ability to concentrate… It’s all related to one thing: the iPhone. What is going on in this area is working directly against our democratic way of thinking and working. I have been in politics for 25 years. I have been prime minister for almost seven years. And I can tell you that the majority of my working hours are quite boring. When the camera is not there, it’s simply about sitting for hours and hours trying to find a solution that will work for the majority in your country or in Europe. That is democracy. It is being pragmatic. It is seeking the best solutions, even with people you disagree with. But everything that is going on in social media is telling the opposite. The algorithms always support division, and we need to be united. They always support the very left wing and the very right wing, and a very black-and-white way of looking at the world. But democracy is the opposite. So I think we have to be aware of what it’s about. I think we have to regulate much more in this area, and especially free our kids from social media and the iPhone. We are working on legislation in Denmark on exactly this. And then we have to do what we are doing today. _"In these years, politics feels like it’s on speed."_ ------------------------------------------------------ In these years, politics feels like it’s on speed. Breaking news followed by breaking news. It’s crazy, really crazy. And maybe it’s part of somebody’s strategy. But then, when things seem maybe a bit better, like on Greenland, the European reaction can be to think that maybe the world is coming back to where it should be. And I would really like to warn you about that. When people say, “we can have a ceasefire in Ukraine and there will be peace”, do you think Russia wants peace with Europe? I’m sorry to be particular: they don’t want peace with us. So please don’t look at one speech, one meeting, or one episode in this drama. We have to look at everything. And if you look at the US right now, what was said when President Trump became president about the Monroe Doctrine, what JD Vance said when he was in Munich a year ago, when you look at their security strategy, their defense strategy, what happened around Greenland, they have been quite transparent about what is going on. So we have to look at the whole picture all the time, including our internal problems with democracy. And therefore, we need to solve all the European problems at the same time: rearming ourselves, competitiveness, building stronger economies, getting control of migration, moving further on the green transition. And in the middle of all this, having social balance in all political decisions so Europeans feel safe in their daily lives. Is it possible to do all this? Yes. Is it a bit hot? Yes. But it is the only way forward. _**Giuliano da Empoli:**_ So staying on this subject, Prime Minister Nielsen, I wanted to ask you: in times like this, how do you keep your people together? And how do you see the role of digital platforms and social media in your context? _**Jens-Frederik Nielsen:**_ First of all, the platforms have shown that the White House knows absolutely nothing about Greenland. You thought there were penguins, right? It could be a strategy, that’s the thing with the platforms: they blur a lot of things. We have felt that they have been trying to influence the Greenlandic people for a long time. First it was: “Greenland, you need to have a quick election for independence. It’s important for you. You have to be sovereign by yourself,” without telling that they would actually swallow you just afterwards. That didn’t work. Next, they offered agreements, also around different platforms. Quite transparent, actually. Also in the streets, people trying to influence the population to look more positively towards the United States. It has been going on for a long time. So how do I keep my people together? Actually, in Greenland, we are not stupid. We look over there and see what’s happening now, how they treat their people, how their democracy works. We are 57,000. We know each other. We need to take care of our young people. Platforms like TikTok, the algorithms are frying the brains of especially the youngest ones. _"Algorithms are frying the brains of our youth."_ -------------------------------------------------- I have a daughter, she’s 15 years old. The videos she shows me on TikTok: it’s crazy. A video where I’m running away from a polar bear that Trump is riding on. That is the kind of thing they show our kids. And videos about how bad the Danes are towards the Greenlandic people as well. That is where the strategy is. It is meant to damage relationships. But we are not stupid.  And I really agree on the problems for democracy of having breaking news on breaking news. The algorithms help people who are very critical towards leaders and governments. That is why we see frightening movements on the far right and far left all over Europe. We see a bit of the same in Greenland. In a time where we need unity in Europe and in the alliance, this division is one of the biggest struggles, as I see it. Because the movement we see now, helped by social media and all the platforms, will divide unions like the European Union. And that is what I am afraid of from a Greenlandic perspective. Because when we see division, isolation of countries, and the splitting up of big corporations and unions, we will be in deep shit, at least as I see it. ### Galerie d'image ![WhatsApp Image 2026-01-28 at 10.52.35_l7yhu.jpeg](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/memory-conference.firebasestorage.app/o/prod%2FBfyDFv5o0CJpQ8yzeNu0%2FprojectsMedias%2F1ts1lAZ8fVjlYZRGKGfv%2Fthumbs%2FWhatsApp%20Image%202026-01-28%20at%2010.52.35_l7yhu_1600x900.png?alt=media&token=87c1367f-9d8c-476b-b3cc-ff2ef4a28aec) ![WhatsApp Image 2026-01-28 at 10.51.22 (1)_vhzfn.jpeg](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/memory-conference.firebasestorage.app/o/prod%2FBfyDFv5o0CJpQ8yzeNu0%2FprojectsMedias%2F1ts1lAZ8fVjlYZRGKGfv%2FWhatsApp%20Image%202026-01-28%20at%2010.51.22%20(1)_vhzfn.jpeg?alt=media&token=a69d730c-40ed-4fed-b2b8-c1ce039ce8b4) ![WhatsApp Image 2026-01-28 at 10.51.23 (1)_lvm54.jpeg](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/memory-conference.firebasestorage.app/o/prod%2FBfyDFv5o0CJpQ8yzeNu0%2FprojectsMedias%2F1ts1lAZ8fVjlYZRGKGfv%2FWhatsApp%20Image%202026-01-28%20at%2010.51.23%20(1)_lvm54.jpeg?alt=media&token=e8363185-3916-4201-9d02-8c65d547817a) ![WhatsApp Image 2026-01-28 at 10.51.46_oaxuj.jpeg](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/memory-conference.firebasestorage.app/o/prod%2FBfyDFv5o0CJpQ8yzeNu0%2FprojectsMedias%2F1ts1lAZ8fVjlYZRGKGfv%2Fthumbs%2FWhatsApp%20Image%202026-01-28%20at%2010.51.46_oaxuj_1600x900.png?alt=media&token=b518a2a9-a8d9-4325-b77a-162c1403a4a4) ## Questions from Sciences Po' students ------------------------------------ _**In the context of shifting transatlantic relations, do you believe that the support of France and the European Union could mark a decisive turning point toward genuine European strategic sovereignty – involving stronger European military capabilities, a renewed balance with NATO, and a diversification of diplomatic partnerships, notably with China?**_ _**Mette Frederiksen:**_ First of all, you cannot build your own strategy on other people’s behaviour, ideas, or strategies. You have to be able to make your own strategy. Europe, as Europe – maybe not all countries will be part of this – but Europe as Europe has to do what we believe is the right thing to do. Of course, common procurement is part of that, to ensure that we can produce more of the weapons and capabilities we need. Strong alliances are also essential. I will never work against NATO, but I do not know what will happen in the United States, and therefore we need to be sure that we can protect Europe if something happens. Alliances, as you said, remain one of the most important objectives. For me, as a Dane, it is a little difficult to understand why you would be against France. In a world where everything is changing rapidly, we need reliable partners and friends. Getting closer to Latin America should be part of that strategy. Being closer to Canada should be part of that strategy. Being much closer to the African Union should be part of that strategy. The trade agreement we concluded just yesterday with India is also part of that strategy. China is a more difficult question. I do not think Russia would be able to wage a full-scale war in Ukraine for almost four years without help from China. When I know that China is helping Russia wage a war on European soil, killing Europeans, I do not think any of us can look at China the same way we did before the war. So we must be very clear-eyed about what is happening. My conclusion to all your questions is the same: make Europe stronger. That is what this is about. And part of that is, of course, buying more European equipment, including military capabilities. _**Most of the political debate happening in Greenland takes place on Facebook or TikTok, most communications with ministers and members of the administration go through Facebook. So how can you respond to possible hybrid threats coming from large U.S. companies, knowing that practically everyone in Greenland thinks politically through these platforms?**_ _**Mette Frederiksen:**_ On Greenland: it is very difficult for us. It is true: almost all political communication in Greenland takes place on Facebook. Facebook is the largest platform, followed by YouTube and TikTok, which is currently frying our children’s brains because of harmful algorithms. We are addressing this in primary schools and elsewhere. _**Jens-Frederik Nielsen:**_ There is no doubt that we need some form of regulation regarding algorithms. It is difficult: they are all owned by companies whose business model harms our children. It is a problem for democracy. I fully agree on that point. We need to work together on this. Cyber resilience is also something we share responsibility for. I completely understand and support the concern raised by the question. _**Against the backdrop of the return of great-power politics and the evolving posture of the Trump administration, have Denmark and Greenland adjusted their security and investment strategies – including autonomous capabilities in detection, communication, search and rescue, and defence – and how do these choices relate to the framework discussions with the United States, as well as to the role Denmark and Greenland intend to play through the Arctic Council?**_ _**Jens-Frederik Nielsen:**_ We have an agreement with the United States to establish a high-level working group that is currently meeting to clarify these issues. I will not go into details about what might be included in such an agreement. But as has been said, the conclusion is already written: there are red lines we cannot cross. From a Greenlandic perspective, however, we will of course try to find an agreement on this major issue. We have worked with the United States for many years. As for the Arctic Council, we are pleased to hold the leadership. In the current situation – what I call a diplomatic crisis – it consumes much of our energy. We will use the Arctic Council to bring partners together, to protect the integrity of cooperation and respect for international law. Our foreign minister is currently in Tromsø working on these matters. This requires all our attention, and we are working very hard to find solutions. _"We must stand up, stand united, and work harder than ever. If we do, there will be a brighter future on the other side."_ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _**Mette Frederiksen:**_ Recently, we decided to purchase air-defence systems from France. We are extremely grateful to France. You will see differences among European countries, and that is not a problem as long as we agree on the fundamentals. Rearming Europe includes common procurement and increased European production. We have learned a great deal from Ukraine. It is frankly embarrassing that a country at war can produce military equipment faster than the rest of Europe. We are good at bureaucracy, and I know many of you will become bureaucrats, and that is important work, but sometimes we make things more complicated than necessary. We need faster production lines and cross-border industrial cooperation. Twenty-seven armies and twenty-seven production systems will not work in the future. On the Arctic Council, we must remember that people live in the Arctic. The global discussion focuses on security, which is important, but people live there under extremely harsh conditions. Climate change, environment, livelihoods – these issues must remain central. We need to pay respect to the Arctic peoples. Finally, these are troubled times. The old world is gone, and I do not think it will return. Am I optimistic about Europe? Yes. We have overcome greater challenges before. It will demand a lot from us. We must stand up, stand united, and work harder than ever. If we do, there will be a brighter future on the other side. **Licence :** `#CC-BY-NC (Attribution, Pas d'utilisation commerciale)` ### Thématique `#Géopolitique` `#Démocratie` `#Europe` **Langue :** `#Anglais` --- ### Navigation pour IA - [Index de tous les contenus](https://conference.sciencespo.fr/llms.txt) - [Plan du site (Sitemap)](https://conference.sciencespo.fr/sitemap.xml) - [Retour à l'accueil](https://conference.sciencespo.fr/)