A light-hearted Danish petition to buy the state of California and “bring hygge to Hollywood” has appeared in response to US President Donald Trump’s talk about taking control of Greenland from Denmark. The petition asks: “Have you ever looked at a map and thought: ‘You know what Denmark needs? More sunshine, palm trees, and roller skates?’
“Well, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make that dream a reality.”
The petition’s website claimed more than 200,000 signatures by mid-morning on Wednesday, with a goal of 500,000, as well as “one trillion dollars (give or take a few billion). That’s just 200,000 kroner from every Dane”.
The petition adds: “It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation, so California will become New Denmark.”
While the scheme may be a joke, another very Danish city in Southern California is real. Known as “the Danish capital of America”, Solvang was founded by three immigrants from Denmark in 1911.
The city is popular with tourists, who come in droves for its aebleskiver pastries, Scandinavian windmills, a main street called “Copenhagen Drive” and, of course, a Hans Christian Andersen Museum to honour the famous Danish fairy tale author. Danish royals have visited several times over the decades.
But in 2019, Mr Trump scrapped a trip to Denmark and said the cancellation was because Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made a “nasty” statement when she rejected his first-term idea of buying Greenland as an absurdity. Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of the US ally – a vast and mineral-rich Arctic island.
Mr Trump, now in his second term, is doubling down. Before taking office last month, the US President said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the island, calling it vital to US national security. Ms Frederiksen and Mute B Egede, Greenland’s Prime Minister, are again resisting these calls.
“Greenland is for the Greenlandic people. We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American. We want to be Greenlandic,” Mr Egede said at a news conference alongside Ms Frederiksen in Copenhagen last month.
The US President’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr, visited Greenland last month and told citizens: “We’re going to treat you well.”
So, Denmarkification decided to channel Mr Trump’s previous career as a real estate developer. The petition organisers already have big plans for Disneyland in Southern California.
“We’ll rename it Hans Christian Andersenland. Mickey Mouse in a Viking helmet? Yes, please,” the petition states. Of course, every petition needs some fine print, and it can be found way down at the bottom: “Disclaimer: This campaign is 100% real … in our dreams.”