14 Facts About Jonathan Motzfeldt

Jonathan Motzfeldt is considered one of the leading figures in the establishment of Greenland Home Rule.

Jonathan Motzfeldt was Greenland's prime minister from 1979 until 1991 and 1997 until 2002.

Jonathan Motzfeldt is Greenland's longest-serving prime minister and won the most elections of any Greenlandic Prime Minister.

Jonathan Motzfeldt is considered a centre-left politician and Greenland became a recognized country during his tenure.

Already in the mid-1950s, Jonathan Motzfeldt started his battle for Greenland's autonomy with a group of young Inuit activists.

Jonathan Motzfeldt secured almost absolute power through a series of political purges, where old comrades like Lars Emil Johansen, Moses Olsen, Lars Chemnitz, and Emil Abelsen were sidelined.

On 1 May 1979, Jonathan Motzfeldt became the first Prime Minister of Greenland.

Jonathan Motzfeldt led the government for almost twelve years until 18 March 1991, when he was forced to resign and leave politics because of a drinking problem.

Jonathan Motzfeldt held this post until 2002 when he was forced to call new elections because of serious criticism from the parliament of management of the Home Rule's economy.

Jonathan Motzfeldt was then again elected chairman of the Greenlandic parliament.

Mr Jonathan Motzfeldt resigned as speaker of Greenland's Parliament on 18 January 2008 amid allegations that he had groped a female civil servant who reported him to the police.

Jonathan Motzfeldt was not re-elected in the parliamentary elections on 2 June 2009.

Jonathan Motzfeldt died on 28 October 2010, aged 72, from a cerebral hemorrhage.

At the time of his death Jonathan Motzfeldt was the president of the West Nordic Council.