Sjálvstýri

Self-Government
Sjálvstýri
LeaderSámal Petur í Grund (acting)[1]
Founded1909
IdeologyLiberalism[2]
Social liberalism[3]
Regionalism[3]
Autonomism[4]
Political positionCentre
National affiliationDanish Social Liberal Party
Nordic affiliationCentre Group
Colours  Pink
Løgting
1 / 33
Folketing
(Faroe seats)
0 / 2
Election symbol
Website
www.sjalvstyri.fo

Sjálvstýri (previously Sjálvstýrisflokkurin) (English: referred to interchangeably as Independence, Self-Government, or Home Rule) is a liberal,[2] autonomist[4] political party on the Faroe Islands. It is currently led by Sámal Petur í Grund[5].

History

Nýtt Sjálvstýri traditionally supported greater autonomy for the Faroes within the Kingdom of Denmark, but in 1998 it agreed, as part of a coalition deal with Tjóðveldi and Fólkaflokkurin, to support national independence for the Faroes. Today it supports obtaining independence through gradually increasing Faroese autonomy until the Faroe Islands becomes a de facto independent state.

At the 2008 election to the Løgting, the party won 7.2% of the popular vote and two out of 33 seats. In early elections in 2011, the party's vote fell to 4.2% and it lost one seat.[6] At the 2011 election to the Løgting, the party won 4% of the votes; two members were elected.[7] The party failed to reach the electoral threshold of 3.03% in the 2022 general election and therefore did not win any seats.[8][9] It reentered the Løgting in the 2026 general election with 1 seat.[10]

Leaders

Party leaders

  • Sámal Petur í Grund 18 December 2022– (acting)
  • Kári P. Højgaard 23 February–18 December 2022
  • Jógvan Skorheim 9 April 2015–23 February 2022
  • Kári P. Højgaard 2011–2015
  • Kári á Rógvi 2010–2011
  • Kári P. Højgaard 2003–2010
  • Eyðun Elttør 2001–2003
  • Sámal Petur í Grund 2001
  • Helena Dam á Neystabø 1994–2001
  • Hilmar Kass 1971–1994
  • Niels Winther Poulsen 1962–1971
  • Louis Zachariasen 1939–1962
  • Edward Mitens 1936–1939
  • Jóannes Patursson 1909–1936
 

Parliamentary leaders

  • Kári P. Højgaard 2013–present
  • Jógvan Skorheim 2011–2013
  • Kári P. Højgaard 2001–2011
  • Sámal Petur í Grund 1998–2001
  • Helena Dam á Neystabø 1993–1998
  • Lasse Klein 1988–1993
  • Hilmar Kass 1970–1988

Current members of the Løgting

As of the 2026 general election:

Name Elected (E), Re-elected (R), or Appointed (A) Votes obtained in the general election Title
Sámal Petur í Grund E 549 Member of the Løgting

Election results

Faroese general election
Year Votes Seats Position
# % # ±
1910 289 24.3
7 / 20
New Increase 2nd
1912 365 41.6
7 / 20
Steady 0 Steady 2nd
1914 625 47.2
8 / 20
Increase 1 Steady 2nd
1916 542 51.7
9 / 20
Increase 1 Increase 1st
1918 2,938 49.7
11 / 20
Increase 2 Decrease 2nd
1920 2,476 41.6
10 / 20
Decrease 1 Steady 2nd
1924 2,450 39.1
10 / 23
Steady 0 Steady 2nd
1928 2,680 42.3
11 / 23
Increase 1 Steady 2nd
1932 2,931 37.3
8 / 21
Decrease 3 Steady 2nd
1936 2,694 34.2
8 / 24
Steady 0 Increase 1st
1940 1,365 16.2
4 / 24
Decrease 4 Decrease 4th
1943 1,001 10.4
0 / 25
Decrease 4 Steady 4th
1945 1,235 9.4
0 / 23
Steady 0 Steady 4th
1946 With the Social Democratic Party
2 / 20
Increase 2 Increase 3rd
1950 957 8.2
2 / 25
Steady 0 Decrease 5th
1954 908 7.1
2 / 27
Steady 0 Steady 5th
1958 816 5.9
2 / 30
Steady 0 Steady 5th
1962 892 5.9
2 / 29
Steady 0 Steady 5th
1966 867 4.9
1 / 26
Decrease 1 Steady 5th
1970 1,010 5.6
1 / 26
Steady 0 Steady 5th
1974 1,430 7.2
2 / 26
Increase 1 Steady 5th
1978 1,626 7.2
2 / 32
Steady 0 Steady 5th
1980 1,953 8.4
3 / 32
Increase 1 Steady 5th
1984 2,135 8.5
2 / 32
Decrease 1 Steady 5th
1988 2,033 7.1
2 / 32
Steady 0 Steady 5th
1990 2,489 8.8
3 / 32
Increase 1 Steady 5th
1994 1,437 5.6
2 / 32
Decrease 1 Decrease 8th
1998 2,116 7.6
2 / 32
Steady 0 Increase 5th
2002 1,351 4.4
1 / 32
Decrease 1 Steady 5th
2004 1,461 4.6
1 / 32
Steady 0 Decrease 6th
2008 2,244 7.2
2 / 33
Increase 1 Steady 6th
2011 1,290 4.2
1 / 33
Decrease 1 Decrease 7th
2015 1,305 4.0
2 / 33
Increase 1 Steady 7th
2019 1,157 3.4
1 / 33
Decrease 1 Steady 7th
2022 938 2.7
0 / 33
Decrease 1 Steady 7th
2026 1,284 3.6
1 / 33
Increase 1 Steady 7th
 
Danish general election
Year Votes Members
# %
1939 314 5.0
0 / 1
1943 Did not contest
1945 With the Social Democratic Party
0 / 1
1947 809 8.4
0 / 2
1950 535 14.8
0 / 2
1953 (Apr) 351 10.4
0 / 2
1953 (Sept) Did not contest
1957
1960
1964
1966
1968
1971 648 4.9
0 / 2
1973 553 4.2
0 / 2
1975 Did not contest
1977 551 3.4
0 / 2
1979 797 4.3
0 / 2
1981 867 5.2
0 / 2
1984 1,033 5.6
0 / 2
1987 1,070 4.8
0 / 2
1988 897 3.9
0 / 2
1990 1,240 6.9
0 / 2
1994 469 2.4
0 / 2
1998 1,603 7.7
0 / 2
2001 434 1.6
0 / 2
2005 585 2.4
0 / 2
2007 799 3.5
0 / 2
2011 483 2.3
0 / 2
2015 400 1.7
0 / 2
2019 334 1.3
0 / 2
2022 Did not contest
2026

References

  1. ^ https://www.vp.fo/news/sjalvstyri-nyggjan-floksformann Sjálvstýri nýggjan floksformann
  2. ^ a b Christina Bergqvist (1 January 1999). Equal Democracies?: Gender and Politics in the Nordic Countries. Nordic Council of Ministers. pp. 318–. ISBN 978-82-00-12799-4.
  3. ^ a b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Faroes/Denmark". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  4. ^ a b Jason Sorens (13 February 2012). Secessionism: Identity, Interest, and Strategy. MQUP. pp. 180–. ISBN 978-0-7735-8751-9.
  5. ^ "Formaðurin – Sjálvstýri". Sjálvstýri (in Faroese). Archived from the original on 2026-04-07. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  6. ^ Kringvarp.fo, Results from the political elections 2011 and 2008 Archived 2011-11-20 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Mohr, Bjarni; Frederiksen, Leivur (2015-09-02). "Løgtingsval 2015: Her er endaliga valúrslitið". Kringvarp Føroya (in Faroese). Archived from the original on 2026-04-07. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  8. ^ Petersen, Birita Matras (2026-02-26). "Sjálvstýri ger enn eina roynd". Kringvarp Føroya. Archived from the original on 2026-04-07. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  9. ^ "Gomul valúrslit". Kringvarp Føroya. 2026-04-07. Archived from the original on 2026-04-07. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  10. ^ Mikkelsen, Michala Rask; Dall, Anders (2026-03-27). "Konservative Fólkaflokkurin vinder valget på Færøerne". DR (in Danish). Archived from the original on 2026-04-07. Retrieved 2026-04-07.