Independence movements

Faroe Islands: constitutional status and the independence question

Where the question stood on 18 September 2026: the legal position, the composition of the Løgting after the 2026 election, and the route to independence.

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Status verified as of 18 September 2026. Political positions change; this explainer describes the documented position on that date.

Current constitutional position

The Faroe Islands are a self-governing community within the Kingdom of Denmark under the 1948 Home Rule Act.[1] The 2005 Takeover Act lets the Faroese Government unilaterally assume further legislative and executive competences, short of the constitution, citizenship, the supreme court, foreign, security and defence policy, and currency, which remain with Denmark.[2][3]

No referendum on independence has been held since the disputed 1946 vote, and a referendum planned for 26 May 2001 was cancelled after warnings that independence would end Danish subsidies.[4][5] Danish Prime Ministers have repeatedly said the Faroes may become independent whenever the Faroese people so decide, but no further referendum has been scheduled.[6]

The 2026 Løgting

The People's Party won 9 of 33 seats at the March 2026 election and leads a coalition government with the Union Party and the Social Democratic Party under Prime Minister Beinir Johannesen.[7][8] Republic (Tjóðveldi), the pro-independence party, held 6 seats.[9][10]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: Section 1 of the Home Rule Act, No. 137 of 23 March 1948, establishes the Faroe Islands as a self-governing community within the State of Denmark, with the Faroese people exercising self-government "within the unity of the Realm" through the Løgting and the Landsstýri.

    • Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands, No. 137 of 23 March 1948 (Prime Minister's Office of Denmark (english.stm.dk), 23 March 1948) link, s. 1. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: The Act on the Faroese Authorities' Assumption of Matters and Fields of Responsibility (Act No. 578 of 24 June 2005) gives the Faroese Government unilateral authority to assume legislative and executive competence over matters not already Faroese.

    • Act on the Faroese Authorities' Assumption of Matters and Fields of Responsibility (Act No. 578 of 24 June 2005) (Government of the Faroe Islands / Folketing, 24 June 2005) link, summary of the Act. Source record
    • Government of the Faroe Islands, Constitutional status (Government of the Faroe Islands) link, The 2005 Assumption Act. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: The 2005 Act excepts from unilateral Faroese assumption: the constitution, citizenship, the supreme court, foreign policy, security and defence policy, and monetary and currency matters; Denmark also continues to handle policing, prisons, probation, legal capacity law, immigration, border control, financial regulation and aviation supervision.

    • Government of the Faroe Islands, Constitutional status (Government of the Faroe Islands) link, Areas remaining under Danish authority. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: A Faroese independence referendum was planned for 26 May 2001.

    • Faroese independence movement (Wikipedia) link, summary of the 2001 referendum. Source record
    • The Faroe Islands: Options for Independence (ResearchGate) link, discussion of the 2000–2001 referendum attempt. Source record
  5. 5.

    Claim: Danish Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen told the Faroese that full independence would also mean full economic responsibility; the planned referendum was cancelled at a late stage amid concern that Danish subsidies would end. Attributed to Reported statement of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark

    • Faroese independence movement (Wikipedia) link, summary of the 2001 referendum. Source record
  6. 6.

    Claim: Prime Ministers of Denmark have on several occasions, including in recent years, stated that the Faroe Islands shall become an independent state as soon as the Faroese people so decide. Attributed to Government of the Faroe Islands, summarising statements by successive Danish Prime Ministers

    • Government of the Faroe Islands, The Political and Legal Status of the Faroe Islands (Government of the Faroe Islands) link, summary of Danish governments' position. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
  7. 7.

    Claim: The People's Party won 9 seats (26.75%), the Union Party 7 seats (21.51%), the Social Democratic Party 6 seats (18.88%), Republic (Tjóðveldi) 6 seats (17.39%), Progress 2 seats (6.56%), the Centre Party 2 seats (5.28%) and Sjálvstýri 1 seat (3.63%).

  8. 8.

    Claim: Following the election, a coalition government of the People's Party, the Union Party and the Social Democratic Party was formed under Prime Minister Beinir Johannesen.

    • 2026 Faroese general election (Wikipedia) link, Government formation section. Source record
  9. 9.

    Claim: Tjóðveldi (Republic) is the Faroese party whose primary stated aim is the establishment of the Faroe Islands as an independent, sovereign state.

  10. 10.

    Claim: At the 2026 election, Republic won 6 of the Løgting's 33 seats; among the other parties, positions on independence range from gradualist support to preference for continued union with Denmark.

Source note

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Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/faroe-islands/status · last substantive update 24 September 2026.