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Faroese independence movement

December 02, 2023

The Faroese independence movement (Faroese: Føroyska Tjóðskaparrørslan), or the Faroese national movement (Føroyska Sjálvstýrisrørslan), is a political movement which seeks the establishment of the Faroe Islands as a sovereign state outside of Denmark.[1][2][3] Reasons for independence include the linguistic and cultural divide between Denmark and the Faroe Islands as well as their lack of proximity to one another; the Faroe Islands are about 990 km (620 mi) from Danish shores.

  Faroe Islands (circled)
  Denmark

History of sovereignty edit

Main article: History of the Faroe Islands

Pre-Denmark edit

Main article: Norse settlement in the Faroe Islands

Norsemen settled the islands around 800 AD, bringing the Old Norse language that evolved into the modern Faroese language. These settlers are not thought to have come directly from Scandinavia, but rather from Norse communities surrounding the Irish Sea, Northern Isles and Western Isles of Scotland, including the Shetland and Orkney islands, and Norse-Gaels. A traditional name for the islands in the Irish language, Na Scigirí, means 'the Skeggjar' and possibly refers to the Eyja-Skeggjar ('island-beards'), a nickname given to the island dwellers.

According to Færeyinga Saga, emigrants left Norway who did not approve of the monarchy of Harald I of Norway. These people settled the Faroes around the end of the 9th century.[4] It is thus officially held that the islands' Nordic language and culture are derived from the early Norwegians.[5] The islands were a possession of the Kingdom of Norway (872–1397) from 1035 until their incorporation into Denmark.

Under Danish rule edit

 
The flag of the Faroe Islands was designed by Faeroese students in Copenhagen in 1919

The islands have been ruled, with brief interruptions, by the Danish government since 1388, all the time being part of Norway up until 1814. Although the state of Denmark–Norway was thoroughly divided by the Treaty of Kiel of 1814, the Faroe Islands remained in Danish hands.[6] A series of discriminatory policies were put in place soon after the treaty; the Faroese parliament, the Løgting was abolished in 1816 along with the post of Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands. The aforementioned offices were replaced by a Danish judiciary.[7] Concurrently, the usage of the Faroese language was generally discouraged[vague] and Danish was instilled as the official language of the region.[citation needed]

The renewed Danish Constitution of 1849 granted the Faroese two seats in the Danish Parliament Rigsdagen.[8] 1852 saw the restoration of the Løgting, albeit merely as an 18-member consultative body to the Danish authorities.[9]

The nationalist fervor has its roots in late 19th century, established initially as a cultural and political movement which struggled for the rights of using the Faroese language in the schools, the church, in media and in the legislature. The designated start is believed to be the Christmas Meeting of 1888, which was held on December 22, 1888 in the Løgting (parliament) in Tórshavn. Two of the persons who participated were Jóannes Patursson and Rasmus Effersøe. Patursson had written a poem which Effersøe read aloud, the first line starts: Nú er tann stundin komin til handa,[10] which is often cited in support of the movement.[11] The poem was about preserving and taking care of the Faroese language; over the years it has gained a strong cultural footing in the Faroe Islands. The Faroese language was not allowed to be used in the Faroese public schools as a teaching language until 1938,[12] and in the church (Fólkakirkjan) until 1939.[13]

Young students who studied in Denmark played a prominent role in the nationalist movement. The Faroese Merkið flag was designed in 1919 by Faroese students in Copenhagen. Prior to the Merkið's utilization, there were other flags which some of the Faroese people identified themselves with, one was a flag featuring a ram and one was a flag with a tjaldur.[14]

Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany as part of the Second World War on April 9, 1940. The United Kingdom, viewing the Faroe Islands as strategically valuable, began a military occupation of the islands in order to thwart further German conquest of Danish territory. This effectively put the Faroe Islands under British administration until the conclusion of the war in 1945.[15] Under British rule the Merkið was recognized as the official flag of the Faroes so that authorities could discern what vessels were Faroese fishing boats and which were hostile.

Status of autonomy edit

In the status quo, the Faroe Islands is an autonomous area of the Kingdom of Denmark,[16] sharing this distinction with Greenland.[17] In response to growing calls for autonomy, the Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands was passed on March 23, 1948, cementing the latter's status as a self-governing country within The Unity of the Realm. The Act has also allowed the vast majority of domestic affairs to be ceded to the Faroese government, with the Danish government only responsible for military defence, police, justice, currency and foreign affairs.[18] The Faroe Islands are not part of the European Union. The Faroe Islands also have their own national football team and are a full member of FIFA and UEFA.

Political solutions edit

Organizations edit

 
Schematic depiction of the political party spectrum in the Faroe Islands.
Tjóðveldi = Republic
Framsókn = Progress
Fólkaflokkurin = People's Party
Miðflokkurin = Centre Party
Sjálvstýrisflokkurin = Self-Government Party
Javnaðarflokkurin = Social Democratic Party
Sambandsflokkurin = Union Party
Main article: Politics of the Faroe Islands

Four local political parties seek independence from Denmark: the People's Party (Hin føroyski fólkaflokkurin), Republic (Tjóðveldi), Progress (Framsókn) and Centre Party (Miðflokkurin). These parties, while spanning the political left and right, make up 17 of the Løgting's 33 seats.[19] In addition to this is the Self-Government Party (Sjálvstýrisflokkurin) generally touts the idea of sovereignty, albeit with a more moderate fervor than the aforementioned parties.[20]

1946 referendum edit

Main article: 1946 Faroese independence referendum

On September 14, 1946, a referendum regarding independence was held. With a valid vote count of 11,146, 50.74% voted in favor of independence while 49.26% opted to remain associated with Denmark, leaving a difference of 166 votes between the two options.[21] The chairman of the Løgting declared independence on September 18; this move was not recognised by the opposition parties, and it was annulled by Denmark on September 20.[22] King Christian X of Denmark subsequently dissolved the Løgting; it was swiftly replaced in the parliamentary election held on November 8, with parties favoring union with Denmark now retaining a majority.[23]

Constitutional crisis edit

The Danish and Faroese governments have consistently haggled over the drastic revision of the Faroese constitution, with many clauses clashing with those of Denmark.[24] The conflict reached its apex in 2011, when then-Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen declared that new edits could not coincide with the state's constitution. Rasmussen presented two options to the Faroese: secede or scrap the hypothetical constitution. Faroese Prime Minister Kaj Leo Johannesen asserted that they would begin a new draft of the constitution and remain in the Danish Realm.[25]

Concerns of economic viability edit

“It's currently only the money that actually connects us to Denmark. All Faroese agree that we should have our own schools and own language. The cultural battle is over. It’s the Danish money that is the obstacle to independence.”

—Høgni Hoydal, Faroese MP and leader of the Republic Party.[26]

Although they enjoy a significant amount of autonomy from Denmark, the Faroe Islands still regularly rely on USD $99.8 million of government subsidies to keep their economy stable;[24][failed verification] in 1992 a banking decline of 25% sent the economy into a period of stagnation and 15% of the population to mainland Denmark.[27] Financial support from the Danish government takes up 4.6% of the Faroese gross domestic product and accounts for 10-12% of the public budget.[26]

Norwegian oil and gas company Equinor has taken interest in the prospects of oil in the waters off of the Faroe Islands, embarking on an estimated US$166.46 million oil exploration operation.[27] Exxon Mobil and Atlantic Petroleum also hold stakes in the drilling platforms being installed in Faroese waters.[28] If these operations succeed and find the bountiful projected amounts of oil (USD $568,500 worth per each resident out of the Faroese population of 49,000) the prospect of independence may receive a boost.[27]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Adler-Nissen, Rebecca (2014). "The Faroe Islands: Independence dreams, globalist separatism and the Europeanization of postcolonial home rule" (PDF). Cooperation and Conflict. 49 (1): 55–79. doi:10.1177/0010836713514150. ISSN 0010-8367. JSTOR 45084243. S2CID 13718740.
  2. ^ Ackren, Maria (2006). "The Faroe Islands: Options for Independence". Islands Journal. 1.
  3. ^ Skaale, Sjúrður. (2004). The right to national self-determination : the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Nijhoff. ISBN 90-04-14207-X. OCLC 254447422.
  4. ^ "The Faroe Islands, Faroese History – A part of Randburg". Randburg.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-07.
  5. ^ . Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  6. ^ "The Peace Treaty of Kiel". 13 February 2007. kongehuset.no. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  7. ^ "The Faroese Parliament" (PDF). Logting. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  8. ^ . Faroe Islands. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  9. ^ "Historical overview" (PDF). Logting. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  10. ^ 125 ár síðan jólafundin í 1888
  11. ^ Nú er tann stundin... Tjóðskaparrørsla og sjálvstýrispolitikkur til 1906
  12. ^ Føroyskar bókmentir, page 4 (in Faroese)
  13. ^ . Archived from the original on 2015-03-08. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  14. ^ . Archived from the original on 2014-04-22. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  15. ^ "Faroe Islands and the British occupation". 24 July 2013. Sunvil Discovery. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  16. ^ . Logir.fo. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  17. ^ "The unity of the Realm". Stm.dk. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  18. ^ Lov om de færøske myndigheders overtagelse af sager og sagsområder (written in Danish)
  19. ^ "FAROES/DK". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  20. ^ . Faroe Islands. Archived from the original on 30 August 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  21. ^ "Faroe Islands, September 14, 1946: Status (In German)". 04 October 2013. Direct Democracy. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  22. ^ "Faeroe (sic) Islands". World States Men. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  23. ^ "FAROES/DK". DemocracyWatch. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  24. ^ a b Weinberg, Cory. . 07 April 2012. Reykjavik Grapevine. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  25. ^ Alex. "Denmark and Faroe Islands in constitutional clash". 6 July 2011. Ice News. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  26. ^ a b Topdahl, Rolv. "The Faroese nearer independence with oil". 20 August 2012. Aenergy. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  27. ^ a b c Topdahl, Rolv. "Oil can turn the Faroe Islands into the new Kuwait". 23 August 2012. Aenergy. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  28. ^ "Statoil to spud eighth Faroe well in two weeks". 1 June 2012. Aenergy. Retrieved 11 April 2014.

December 02, 2023
faroese, independence, movement, faroese, føroyska, tjóðskaparrørslan, faroese, national, movement, føroyska, sjálvstýrisrørslan, political, movement, which, seeks, establishment, faroe, islands, sovereign, state, outside, denmark, reasons, independence, inclu. The Faroese independence movement Faroese Foroyska Tjodskaparrorslan or the Faroese national movement Foroyska Sjalvstyrisrorslan is a political movement which seeks the establishment of the Faroe Islands as a sovereign state outside of Denmark 1 2 3 Reasons for independence include the linguistic and cultural divide between Denmark and the Faroe Islands as well as their lack of proximity to one another the Faroe Islands are about 990 km 620 mi from Danish shores Faroe Islands circled Denmark Contents 1 History of sovereignty 1 1 Pre Denmark 1 2 Under Danish rule 2 Status of autonomy 3 Political solutions 3 1 Organizations 3 2 1946 referendum 3 3 Constitutional crisis 4 Concerns of economic viability 5 See also 6 ReferencesHistory of sovereignty editMain article History of the Faroe Islands Pre Denmark edit Main article Norse settlement in the Faroe Islands Norsemen settled the islands around 800 AD bringing the Old Norse language that evolved into the modern Faroese language These settlers are not thought to have come directly from Scandinavia but rather from Norse communities surrounding the Irish Sea Northern Isles and Western Isles of Scotland including the Shetland and Orkney islands and Norse Gaels A traditional name for the islands in the Irish language Na Scigiri means the Skeggjar and possibly refers to the Eyja Skeggjar island beards a nickname given to the island dwellers According to Faereyinga Saga emigrants left Norway who did not approve of the monarchy of Harald I of Norway These people settled the Faroes around the end of the 9th century 4 It is thus officially held that the islands Nordic language and culture are derived from the early Norwegians 5 The islands were a possession of the Kingdom of Norway 872 1397 from 1035 until their incorporation into Denmark Under Danish rule edit nbsp The flag of the Faroe Islands was designed by Faeroese students in Copenhagen in 1919The islands have been ruled with brief interruptions by the Danish government since 1388 all the time being part of Norway up until 1814 Although the state of Denmark Norway was thoroughly divided by the Treaty of Kiel of 1814 the Faroe Islands remained in Danish hands 6 A series of discriminatory policies were put in place soon after the treaty the Faroese parliament the Logting was abolished in 1816 along with the post of Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands The aforementioned offices were replaced by a Danish judiciary 7 Concurrently the usage of the Faroese language was generally discouraged vague and Danish was instilled as the official language of the region citation needed The renewed Danish Constitution of 1849 granted the Faroese two seats in the Danish Parliament Rigsdagen 8 1852 saw the restoration of the Logting albeit merely as an 18 member consultative body to the Danish authorities 9 The nationalist fervor has its roots in late 19th century established initially as a cultural and political movement which struggled for the rights of using the Faroese language in the schools the church in media and in the legislature The designated start is believed to be the Christmas Meeting of 1888 which was held on December 22 1888 in the Logting parliament in Torshavn Two of the persons who participated were Joannes Patursson and Rasmus Effersoe Patursson had written a poem which Effersoe read aloud the first line starts Nu er tann stundin komin til handa 10 which is often cited in support of the movement 11 The poem was about preserving and taking care of the Faroese language over the years it has gained a strong cultural footing in the Faroe Islands The Faroese language was not allowed to be used in the Faroese public schools as a teaching language until 1938 12 and in the church Folkakirkjan until 1939 13 Young students who studied in Denmark played a prominent role in the nationalist movement The Faroese Merkid flag was designed in 1919 by Faroese students in Copenhagen Prior to the Merkid s utilization there were other flags which some of the Faroese people identified themselves with one was a flag featuring a ram and one was a flag with a tjaldur 14 Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany as part of the Second World War on April 9 1940 The United Kingdom viewing the Faroe Islands as strategically valuable began a military occupation of the islands in order to thwart further German conquest of Danish territory This effectively put the Faroe Islands under British administration until the conclusion of the war in 1945 15 Under British rule the Merkid was recognized as the official flag of the Faroes so that authorities could discern what vessels were Faroese fishing boats and which were hostile Status of autonomy editIn the status quo the Faroe Islands is an autonomous area of the Kingdom of Denmark 16 sharing this distinction with Greenland 17 In response to growing calls for autonomy the Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands was passed on March 23 1948 cementing the latter s status as a self governing country within The Unity of the Realm The Act has also allowed the vast majority of domestic affairs to be ceded to the Faroese government with the Danish government only responsible for military defence police justice currency and foreign affairs 18 The Faroe Islands are not part of the European Union The Faroe Islands also have their own national football team and are a full member of FIFA and UEFA Political solutions editOrganizations edit nbsp Schematic depiction of the political party spectrum in the Faroe Islands Tjodveldi RepublicFramsokn ProgressFolkaflokkurin People s PartyMidflokkurin Centre PartySjalvstyrisflokkurin Self Government PartyJavnadarflokkurin Social Democratic PartySambandsflokkurin Union PartyMain article Politics of the Faroe Islands Four local political parties seek independence from Denmark the People s Party Hin foroyski folkaflokkurin Republic Tjodveldi Progress Framsokn and Centre Party Midflokkurin These parties while spanning the political left and right make up 17 of the Logting s 33 seats 19 In addition to this is the Self Government Party Sjalvstyrisflokkurin generally touts the idea of sovereignty albeit with a more moderate fervor than the aforementioned parties 20 1946 referendum edit Main article 1946 Faroese independence referendum On September 14 1946 a referendum regarding independence was held With a valid vote count of 11 146 50 74 voted in favor of independence while 49 26 opted to remain associated with Denmark leaving a difference of 166 votes between the two options 21 The chairman of the Logting declared independence on September 18 this move was not recognised by the opposition parties and it was annulled by Denmark on September 20 22 King Christian X of Denmark subsequently dissolved the Logting it was swiftly replaced in the parliamentary election held on November 8 with parties favoring union with Denmark now retaining a majority 23 Constitutional crisis edit The Danish and Faroese governments have consistently haggled over the drastic revision of the Faroese constitution with many clauses clashing with those of Denmark 24 The conflict reached its apex in 2011 when then Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Lokke Rasmussen declared that new edits could not coincide with the state s constitution Rasmussen presented two options to the Faroese secede or scrap the hypothetical constitution Faroese Prime Minister Kaj Leo Johannesen asserted that they would begin a new draft of the constitution and remain in the Danish Realm 25 Concerns of economic viability edit It s currently only the money that actually connects us to Denmark All Faroese agree that we should have our own schools and own language The cultural battle is over It s the Danish money that is the obstacle to independence Hogni Hoydal Faroese MP and leader of the Republic Party 26 Although they enjoy a significant amount of autonomy from Denmark the Faroe Islands still regularly rely on USD 99 8 million of government subsidies to keep their economy stable 24 failed verification in 1992 a banking decline of 25 sent the economy into a period of stagnation and 15 of the population to mainland Denmark 27 Financial support from the Danish government takes up 4 6 of the Faroese gross domestic product and accounts for 10 12 of the public budget 26 Norwegian oil and gas company Equinor has taken interest in the prospects of oil in the waters off of the Faroe Islands embarking on an estimated US 166 46 million oil exploration operation 27 Exxon Mobil and Atlantic Petroleum also hold stakes in the drilling platforms being installed in Faroese waters 28 If these operations succeed and find the bountiful projected amounts of oil USD 568 500 worth per each resident out of the Faroese population of 49 000 the prospect of independence may receive a boost 27 See also edit nbsp Politics portal nbsp Faroe Islands portal nbsp Kingdom of Denmark portalConstitution of Denmark Danish Realm Greenlandic independence Icelandic independence movement Norwegian independence movement List of active separatist movements in EuropeReferences edit Adler Nissen Rebecca 2014 The Faroe Islands Independence dreams globalist separatism and the Europeanization of postcolonial home rule PDF Cooperation and Conflict 49 1 55 79 doi 10 1177 0010836713514150 ISSN 0010 8367 JSTOR 45084243 S2CID 13718740 Ackren Maria 2006 The Faroe Islands Options for Independence Islands Journal 1 Skaale Sjurdur 2004 The right to national self determination the Faroe Islands and Greenland Nijhoff ISBN 90 04 14207 X OCLC 254447422 The Faroe Islands Faroese History A part of Randburg Randburg com Archived from the original on 2012 09 07 About the Faroe Islands Archived from the original on December 5 2012 Retrieved 2014 04 11 The Peace Treaty of Kiel 13 February 2007 kongehuset no Retrieved 10 April 2014 The Faroese Parliament PDF Logting Retrieved 10 April 2014 Historical Timeline Faroe Islands Archived from the original on 22 October 2013 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Historical overview PDF Logting Retrieved 10 April 2014 125 ar sidan jolafundin i 1888 Nu er tann stundin Tjodskaparrorsla og sjalvstyrispolitikkur til 1906 Foroyskar bokmentir page 4 in Faroese Folkakirkjan Archived from the original on 2015 03 08 Retrieved 2014 04 21 Tjodskapur Archived from the original on 2014 04 22 Retrieved 2014 04 21 Faroe Islands and the British occupation 24 July 2013 Sunvil Discovery Retrieved 10 April 2014 In Faroese Logir fo Archived from the original on 21 February 2014 Retrieved 10 April 2014 The unity of the Realm Stm dk Retrieved 10 April 2014 Lov om de faeroske myndigheders overtagelse af sager og sagsomrader written in Danish FAROES DK Parties and Elections in Europe Retrieved 10 April 2014 Government amp Politics Faroe Islands Archived from the original on 30 August 2014 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Faroe Islands September 14 1946 Status In German 04 October 2013 Direct Democracy Retrieved 10 April 2014 Faeroe sic Islands World States Men Retrieved 10 April 2014 FAROES DK DemocracyWatch Retrieved 10 April 2014 a b Weinberg Cory Iceland s Neighbours Turn Up Heat On Declaring Independence 07 April 2012 Reykjavik Grapevine Archived from the original on 13 April 2014 Retrieved 11 April 2014 Alex Denmark and Faroe Islands in constitutional clash 6 July 2011 Ice News Retrieved 11 April 2014 a b Topdahl Rolv The Faroese nearer independence with oil 20 August 2012 Aenergy Retrieved 11 April 2014 a b c Topdahl Rolv Oil can turn the Faroe Islands into the new Kuwait 23 August 2012 Aenergy Retrieved 11 April 2014 Statoil to spud eighth Faroe well in two weeks 1 June 2012 Aenergy Retrieved 11 April 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Faroese independence movement amp oldid 1185812287, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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