Politics of the Faroe Islands


The politics of the Faroe Islands, an autonomous country of the Kingdom of Denmark, function within the framework of a parliamentary, representative democratic dependency, whereby the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The Faroe Islands are politically associated with the Kingdom of Denmark but have been self-governing since 1948. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Løgting. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature and the responsibility of Denmark.

Executive branch

Current government

Following the Faroese general election, a new government, consisting of three parties under Prime Minister Aksel V. Johannesen was created.

Legislative branch

The Faroese Parliament has 33 MPs, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation.
Election of 2 seats to the Danish Parliament was last held 31 October 2022: Social Democrat 1, Unionist 1.

Political parties and elections

The Faroe Islands have a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments. The Faroese Parliament has 33 seats. Members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. For the Løgting elections, there were seven electoral districts, each one comprehending asýslur, while Streymoy is divided into northern and southern parts, but since 2008, the Faroes constitute a single district.

Administrative divisions

The islands are administratively divided into 29 municipalities with about 120 cities and villages.
Traditionally, there are also the 6 sýslur. Sýsla means district and although it is only a police district today, it is still commonly understood as a geographical region. In earlier times, each sýsla had its own ting, the so-called várting.

International affairs

The nation continues to be intimately tied with the Nordic countries of Europe and the European Union.
Along with diplomatic missions to Iceland, the Court of St. James's, Russia, and the European Union, the Faroe Islands participate in the Nordic Council, NIB, International Maritime Organization, International Whaling Commission.