Løgting
Encyclopedia
Løgting
Løgting ' onMouseout='HidePop("82652")' href="/topics/Faroese_language">Faroese
: Føroya Løgtingið/Løgting, Danish
: Færøernes Lagting/Løgting, both meaning The løgting of the Faroes) is the unicameral
parliament
of the Faroe Islands
, a self-ruling dependency of Denmark
.
The name literally means "Law Thing
" - that is, a law assembly
- and derives from Old Norse
lǫgþing, which was a name given to ancient assemblies. A ting or Þing has existed on the Faroe Islands for over a millennium. Along with Manx
Tynwald
and the Iceland
ic Alþing it is one of the three oldest Norse assemblies of Europe, comprising one of the oldest parliamentary systems in the world.
Today, the Faroe Islands compromise one constituency, and the number of MPs is fixed at 33. The first elections with this new system was held on 19 January 2008, after the Election law was changed in late 2007. Prior to that, the membership of the Løgting varied from 27 to 32. The 7 constituencies had 27 seats, and up to 5 supplementary seats. That Election Act came into force in 1978, and the eight general elections between 1978 and 2004 all resulted in 32 members.
The Løgting is elected for a period of four years. Election of the Løgting can take place before the end of an election period if the Løgting agrees on dissolving itself. The Løgmaður (Prime Minister) issues a proclamation of the forthcoming election and appoints the day of election, which must take place, at the earliest, 6 weeks
after the proclamation.
The Faroese ting or assembly was originally a so-called althing, with both legislative and judicial authority. On the other hand, there was no executive authority in the country. The Faroese society was a family society (eitt ættarsamfelag), where the families saw to it that the judgements and resolutions of the Løgting were put into practice.
There is a certain amount of evidence that the Faroes were already colonised as early as 650. The first inhabitants, who were of Celt
ic descent, were driven out by Norse landnamsmen in about 825. Faroese society in the Viking Age
and the Middle Ages
resembled the other Nordic populations in may ways. This was particularly true when it came to legislation. The most important body of law was the Gulatingslógin, an ancient Norwegian agricultural law, which originated in the Gulating
legislative area in Vestlandet in Norway. Originally this law was preserved through oral tradition, but it was written down about the year 1100.
The Faroese ting is the first time mentioned in the Færeyinga saga
as the assembly, where the chieftains Sigmundur Brestisson
and Tróndur í Gøtu
met. In 999, Sigmundur introduced Christianity
at the ting, which was located on Tinganes
, a peninsula, which is now the old part of Tórshavn
, the capital of the Faroes. In the Viking Age it was a tradition to hold the ting at a neutral and thus uninhabited place, so nobody had an advantage of the location. In fact, there was no settlement at Tinganes to that time, but it was the most central place of the islands.
However, the Faroese ting mentioned in this saga, must have been a well introduced institution in the 10th century, for it was held each year and is not described as something new or unusual. Respecting the fact, that the Faroes were explored earlier than Iceland and had the same Norse rules, there is not much doubt, that the Faroese ting is older than that of Iceland, which was founded in 930.
This early Faroese ting was also described as the assembly of the "Faroes' best men", who were a free assembly of farmers, and the Faroes a kind of republic
with a population of about 4000 people and 60,000 sheep. The president of the ting was the Løgsøgumaður. He had no voting right and must have had a brilliant memory, for all the resolutions of the ting were not written down, but kept in mind by him.
The Viking Age in the Faroes ended in 1035 when Tróndur í Gøtu died and Leivur Øssursson
(the son-in-law of Sigmundur Brestisson) became liege lord under king Magnus I of Norway
. But the Faroes remained a kind of self-governing society for the next 150 years.
, who introduced the Norwegian Landslog (Land's Law) in 1274. The Faroese ting became now an assembly of representatives of the 6 local vártings and had only judicial authority. This was called lǫgþing in Old Norse, according to the High Courts of Norway. Its president, the Løgmaður, was the presiding judge, and was from then on appointed by the king. The members were called Løgrættumenn, which today means something like jurymen, and they were appointed by the King's Provost on the Faroes.
On June 24, 1298, the Faroes got a kind of constitution
, the Seyðabrævið ("Sheep Letter"), the earliest document of the Faroes, we know today. It is the statute concerning sheep breeding on the Faroes.
In about 1380 the Faroes, together with Norway, came under the Danish throne, but the islands preserved their special status as former Norwegian territory. Regardless of these developments, the Løgting preserved a certain influence on the legislature and the administration of the islands until the introduction of the absolute monarchy in 1660 under Frederick III.
. From that date the influence and authority of the Løgting was again reduced, and the institution was finally abolished in 1816. At the same time the judicial authority of the Løgting was transferred to other courts, such as the newly-inaugurated Court of the Faroes.
in 1852, and thus revived the traditions of the former institution which had been abolished in 1816.
Even though at that time the Løgting had only limited political authority and influence, the institution gradually gained in significance as the representative of the Faroes to the Danish government and parliament (the rigsdag) and as a political forum where politically conscious Faroese islanders could gain experience of politics. The Løgting became the political platform for the Faroese nationalist movement. One of the chief objectives behind the demand for political home rule which its supporters put forward was that the Løgting should have legislative powers.
In the assembly established in 1852, the Amtmaður, the highest Danish government official, was ex officio the president of the Løgting. However, this rule was amended in 1923, so that the president was from then on elected by the members of the Løgting. Since 1927 the Løgting protocols are written in Faroese
, and in 1935 the Løgting was authorised to levy taxes.
, when the Faroes were occupied by the United Kingdom
on 12 April 1940 and relations with Denmark were interrupted, the Løgting actually functioned as a legislative assembly, and the Faroes had their own government, consisting of the Amtmaður Carl Aage Hilbert
and ministers appointed by the Løgting.
In this period the Faroese proved, that they are able to govern themselves. At the end of the war the independence movement (mainly under influence of the new Fólkaflokkurin) was so powerful that none of the political parties were willing to return to the pre-war situation where the status of the Faroes had practically been that of a Danish county (Færøernes amt).
where the electorate was to choose between a Danish proposition of Home rule and full secession from Denmark. This election is not considered a referendum, as the parliament was not bound to follow the decision of the vote. The result was a marginal majority of 161 votes for secession from Denmark (48.7% in favour, 47.2% against, 4.1% blank or spoilt).
The republican coalition majority in parliament interpreted the results as a resolve by the Faroese people for full Faroese independence from Denmark and started the process of secession as well as establishing proper governing bodies for an independent Faroese nation. The Government of Denmark contested the legality of this process, and on 25 September the King of Denmark signed a document dissolving the Faroese parliament and a new election
was held a few months later. This election resulted in a significant majority of 2,000 votes for the parties favoring a union with Denmark, and a new unionist coalition was formed. Based on their growth in votes they chose not to pass the secession, but as a compromise, the Home Rule Act was constituted and came into force on 1 April 1948.
As it was then, this election is still today shrouded in controversy, and there exist two popular stances in this discussion. On one hand, some people argue that there was a resolve in favor of independence, as there actually was a factual majority for secession, even if it was a small one. On the other hand, other people argue that the majority was far too small, as there were in fact only 161 more votes for independence, and this side specifically argues that only a qualified majority can be large enough grounds to pass a vote of such social and political consequence.
Under the Home Rule Act the Faroese Løgting is the legislative authority in special Faroese matters, defined as særanliggender, while other areas are administrated by the Danish national authorities as common matters, fællesanliggender. With the passing of a new statute in 1995 parliamentarism was legally adopted, and at the same time the structure and functions of the Løgting were modernised. A proper Faroese Constitution
is planned and underway.
). According to the Home Rule Act the various branches of legislative power are divided into an A-sector and a B-sector.
Matters regarding defence and foreign policy are outside the scope of Home Rule. The Danish Folketing has legislative power in all areas except those which have been taken over by the Løgting. The Faroese have two seats in the Danish Folketing. Within the framework of Home Rule the Løgting provides for constitutional affairs and for the order of business.
According to the Faroese Home Rule Act the organization of internal affairs is solely within the province of the Faroese Parliament. An act concerning this matter was passed on 26 July 1994. According to section No. 1. of this act the division of legal power concerning matters taken over by the Home Rule is now shared jointly between the Faroese Parliament and the Prime Minister, executive power rests with the Government whereas judicial power in such matters rests with the Danish courts. The Parliament is elected for a period of four years, and the maximum membership is 32 members who are elected in public, secret, and direct elections. The government consists of the Prime Minister (løgmaður) and not fewer than two ministers (landsstýrismenn).
The Prime Minister is appointed indirectly by the Parliament. The Chairman of the Parliament after having had talks with the party leaders submits a proposal for a new Prime Minister, a vote is taken, and if a majority of the members reject the candidate then the proposal is rejected, otherwise the candidate is accepted. The Prime Minister appoints the ministers. Neither the Prime Minister nor a minister may hold their seats if a vote no confidence is put forward and 17 MPs are opposed. The Prime Minister has at any time the power to call an election. The Prime Minister and the ministers are not permitted to hold seats in the Parliament.
Standing Committees:
, the People's Party
, and Republic. A coalition between all those parties are possible, but unthinkable between the Union Party and Republic - the differences are just too great.
The Faroese political scene is not only defined by left and right, but also in the question of the union within the Kingdom of Denmark. Republic stands for the most radical concept of full independence and establishing (or better: re-establishing, see above) a republic of the Faroes. They are leftists and compared with socialist parties in other countries. The People's Party is conservative, but also pro-independence.
On the other side are the Social Democratic Party - leftists but more moderate and observant in the question of independence. One can say, if the majority of the Faroese decides to become an independent state, the Social Democrats will support it, if not, they respect the status quo.
The Union Party is the radical counterpart of Republic. They are pro-Denmark, pro-monarchy, and pro-business, thus classified as liberal. However, the present government is a coalition under the Social Democrats together with the Union Party and the People's Party, with Republic as the main opposition.
At the elections each party has a certain letter, which is also used on posters for the campaigns. For example, the People's Party can be represented by XA, which means "make your cross at letter A".
1Regulation of 2003: (Kunngerð nr. 128 frá 19.12.2003).
The first meeting of the Løgting is on Saint Olaf’s Day (ólavsøka
). On 29 July the members of the Løgting, the ministers (landsstýrismenn), the High Commissioner of Denmark (ríkisumboðsmaður), and high officials walk in procession
(skrúðgonga) from the Parliament building to the Cathedral (Havnar kirkja). After the service the procession returns to Parliament House, and the Løgting is opened.
At the first meeting the Prime Minister (Løgmaður) delivers his Saint Olaf’s Day address, in which he gives a general description of the state of the nation. The Løgting has one major parliamentary debate concerning the state of the nation. The debate is about Løgmaður’s Saint Olaf’s Address, and the budget.
As a rule the Løgting debates between 100 and 150 various items in one session.
This Ólavsøka tradition is very old and dates back to the time of the Norwegian rule. In these former times was the Løgting only held one time the year starting with Ólavsøka and sitting 8 days from 6 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon, with church service each day, and all priests of the Faroes attendant. In the 17th century this was a bit modified - now only meeting with all priests at Ólavsøka day.
Together with the other texts in the Kongsbókin, the Statute concerning sheep breeding on the Faroes (Seyðabrævið) contains information on conditions in society, the economy, the language, culture and cultural history. The Løgting's archives from 1615 to 1816 contain similar rich sources of material on all aspects of the history of the Faroes in that period. The Løgting's archives for the period from 1852 to the present also provide the most important source of information on the more recent and latest political history of the Faroes. The Faroese cultural heritage is founded on this abundance of source material, which is thus at the very heart of the Faroese identity and sense of history right from the landnam period to our own time.
Løgting ' onMouseout='HidePop("82652")' href="/topics/Faroese_language">Faroese
Faroese language
Faroese , is an Insular Nordic language spoken by 48,000 people in the Faroe Islands and about 25,000 Faroese people in Denmark and elsewhere...
: Føroya Løgtingið/Løgting, Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
: Færøernes Lagting/Løgting, both meaning The løgting of the Faroes) is the unicameral
Unicameralism
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...
parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
of the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
, a self-ruling dependency of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
The name literally means "Law Thing
Thing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
" - that is, a law assembly
Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly is the name given in some countries to either a legislature, or to one of its branch.The name is used by a number of member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as a number of Latin American countries....
- and derives from Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
lǫgþing, which was a name given to ancient assemblies. A ting or Þing has existed on the Faroe Islands for over a millennium. Along with Manx
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
Tynwald
Tynwald
The Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.The Houses sit jointly, for...
and the Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic Alþing it is one of the three oldest Norse assemblies of Europe, comprising one of the oldest parliamentary systems in the world.
Today, the Faroe Islands compromise one constituency, and the number of MPs is fixed at 33. The first elections with this new system was held on 19 January 2008, after the Election law was changed in late 2007. Prior to that, the membership of the Løgting varied from 27 to 32. The 7 constituencies had 27 seats, and up to 5 supplementary seats. That Election Act came into force in 1978, and the eight general elections between 1978 and 2004 all resulted in 32 members.
The Løgting is elected for a period of four years. Election of the Løgting can take place before the end of an election period if the Løgting agrees on dissolving itself. The Løgmaður (Prime Minister) issues a proclamation of the forthcoming election and appoints the day of election, which must take place, at the earliest, 6 weeks
after the proclamation.
The Viking Age
There is a certain amount of evidence that the Faroes were already colonised as early as 650. The first inhabitants, who were of Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic descent, were driven out by Norse landnamsmen in about 825. Faroese society in the Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
and the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
resembled the other Nordic populations in may ways. This was particularly true when it came to legislation. The most important body of law was the Gulatingslógin, an ancient Norwegian agricultural law, which originated in the Gulating
Gulating
Gulaþing is both the name of one of the first Norwegian legislative assemblies or Þing and one of the present day law courts of western Norway.-History:...
legislative area in Vestlandet in Norway. Originally this law was preserved through oral tradition, but it was written down about the year 1100.
The Faroese ting is the first time mentioned in the Færeyinga saga
Færeyinga Saga
The Færeyinga Saga , the Norse saga of Faroemen, is the story of how the Faroes were converted to Christianity and became a part of the Kingdom of Norway.-Summary:It was written in Iceland shortly after 1200...
as the assembly, where the chieftains Sigmundur Brestisson
Sigmundur Brestisson
Sigmundur Brestisson introduced Christianity to the Faroe Islands in 999. He is one of the main characters of the Færeyinga saga.According to the Færeyinga Saga, emigrants who left Norway to escape the tyranny of Harald I of Norway, settled in the islands about the beginning of the 9th century...
and Tróndur í Gøtu
Tróndur í Gøtu
Tróndur í Gøtu was a viking from the Faroe Islands . He and Sigmundur Brestisson are the central figures in the Færeyinga Saga, which tells the early history of the Faroe Islands and the coming of Christianity to the islands, which Tróndur opposed.Chapter 3 of the Saga describes Tróndur as...
met. In 999, Sigmundur introduced Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
at the ting, which was located on Tinganes
Tinganes
Tinganes is the historic location of the Faroese landsstýri , and is a part of Tórshavn. The name means "parliament jetty" or "parliament point" in Faroese....
, a peninsula, which is now the old part of Tórshavn
Tórshavn
Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
, the capital of the Faroes. In the Viking Age it was a tradition to hold the ting at a neutral and thus uninhabited place, so nobody had an advantage of the location. In fact, there was no settlement at Tinganes to that time, but it was the most central place of the islands.
However, the Faroese ting mentioned in this saga, must have been a well introduced institution in the 10th century, for it was held each year and is not described as something new or unusual. Respecting the fact, that the Faroes were explored earlier than Iceland and had the same Norse rules, there is not much doubt, that the Faroese ting is older than that of Iceland, which was founded in 930.
This early Faroese ting was also described as the assembly of the "Faroes' best men", who were a free assembly of farmers, and the Faroes a kind of republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
with a population of about 4000 people and 60,000 sheep. The president of the ting was the Løgsøgumaður. He had no voting right and must have had a brilliant memory, for all the resolutions of the ting were not written down, but kept in mind by him.
The Viking Age in the Faroes ended in 1035 when Tróndur í Gøtu died and Leivur Øssursson
Leivur Øssursson
Leivur Øssursson or Leif Øssursson was Lord of the Faroe Islands, before they were given to Norway in 1035. Leivur's reign marked the beginning of the end of the Viking age, and the end of the Faeroe Republic....
(the son-in-law of Sigmundur Brestisson) became liege lord under king Magnus I of Norway
Magnus I of Norway
Magnus I , known as the Good or the Noble, was the King of Norway from 1035 to 1047 and the King of Denmark from 1042 to 1047. He was an illegitimate son of king Olaf II of Norway, but fled with his mother in 1028 when his father was dethroned. In 1035 he returned to Norway and was crowned king at...
. But the Faroes remained a kind of self-governing society for the next 150 years.
Norwegian Rule
The status of the Faroes changed under king Magnus VI of NorwayMagnus VI of Norway
Magnus VI Lagabøte or Magnus Håkonsson , was king of Norway from 1263 until 1280.-Early life:...
, who introduced the Norwegian Landslog (Land's Law) in 1274. The Faroese ting became now an assembly of representatives of the 6 local vártings and had only judicial authority. This was called lǫgþing in Old Norse, according to the High Courts of Norway. Its president, the Løgmaður, was the presiding judge, and was from then on appointed by the king. The members were called Løgrættumenn, which today means something like jurymen, and they were appointed by the King's Provost on the Faroes.
On June 24, 1298, the Faroes got a kind of constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, the Seyðabrævið ("Sheep Letter"), the earliest document of the Faroes, we know today. It is the statute concerning sheep breeding on the Faroes.
In about 1380 the Faroes, together with Norway, came under the Danish throne, but the islands preserved their special status as former Norwegian territory. Regardless of these developments, the Løgting preserved a certain influence on the legislature and the administration of the islands until the introduction of the absolute monarchy in 1660 under Frederick III.
Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark and Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in western historiography. He was born the second-eldest son of Christian IV of Denmark and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...
. From that date the influence and authority of the Løgting was again reduced, and the institution was finally abolished in 1816. At the same time the judicial authority of the Løgting was transferred to other courts, such as the newly-inaugurated Court of the Faroes.
Danish Rule
When Denmark received a free, and for that period democratic constitution in 1849, this signalled the end of the special status the Faroes had held within the kingdom of Denmark. This was enacted without consulting the Faroese population. At that time many of them wished to see the Løgting reinstated, one reason being that they were not satisfied with the situation that the highest Danish government official, called the Amtmaður, was the sole advisory authority on the Faroes on matters of Faroese legislation. Among those who campaigned for political rights of the Faroes was Niels Winther (1822–1892). When the Act of 23 March 1852 was passed it meant that the Faroese Løgting was to be reconstituted, although not as a legislative assembly, but as an advisory body, an amtsráð. The reconstituted Løgting held its first assembly on ÓlavsøkaÓlavsøka
Ólavsøka is a national holiday of the Faroe Islands, celebrated on July 29. It is the day when Løgting, the Faroese Parliament, opens its session....
in 1852, and thus revived the traditions of the former institution which had been abolished in 1816.
Even though at that time the Løgting had only limited political authority and influence, the institution gradually gained in significance as the representative of the Faroes to the Danish government and parliament (the rigsdag) and as a political forum where politically conscious Faroese islanders could gain experience of politics. The Løgting became the political platform for the Faroese nationalist movement. One of the chief objectives behind the demand for political home rule which its supporters put forward was that the Løgting should have legislative powers.
In the assembly established in 1852, the Amtmaður, the highest Danish government official, was ex officio the president of the Løgting. However, this rule was amended in 1923, so that the president was from then on elected by the members of the Løgting. Since 1927 the Løgting protocols are written in Faroese
Faroese language
Faroese , is an Insular Nordic language spoken by 48,000 people in the Faroe Islands and about 25,000 Faroese people in Denmark and elsewhere...
, and in 1935 the Løgting was authorised to levy taxes.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when the Faroes were occupied by the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 12 April 1940 and relations with Denmark were interrupted, the Løgting actually functioned as a legislative assembly, and the Faroes had their own government, consisting of the Amtmaður Carl Aage Hilbert
Carl Aage Hilbert
Carl Aage Hilbert was the Danish Prefect of the Faroe Islands from 1936 until 1945. During this period, the Faroe Islands had the status of an amt of Denmark....
and ministers appointed by the Løgting.
In this period the Faroese proved, that they are able to govern themselves. At the end of the war the independence movement (mainly under influence of the new Fólkaflokkurin) was so powerful that none of the political parties were willing to return to the pre-war situation where the status of the Faroes had practically been that of a Danish county (Færøernes amt).
Self-Government
Long and laborious negotiations followed between the Danish government and the representatives of the Løgting. Finally a public vote was held on 14 September 1946Faroese independence referendum, 1946
An independence referendum was held in the Faroe Islands on 14 September 1946. The result was 48.7% in favor to 47.2% against. 481 votes or 4.1% were blank or invalid...
where the electorate was to choose between a Danish proposition of Home rule and full secession from Denmark. This election is not considered a referendum, as the parliament was not bound to follow the decision of the vote. The result was a marginal majority of 161 votes for secession from Denmark (48.7% in favour, 47.2% against, 4.1% blank or spoilt).
The republican coalition majority in parliament interpreted the results as a resolve by the Faroese people for full Faroese independence from Denmark and started the process of secession as well as establishing proper governing bodies for an independent Faroese nation. The Government of Denmark contested the legality of this process, and on 25 September the King of Denmark signed a document dissolving the Faroese parliament and a new election
Faroese parliamentary election, 1946
Parliamentary elections were held in the Faroe Islands on 8 November 1946. The result was a victory for the People's Party, which won 8 of the 18 seats in the Løgting.-Results:...
was held a few months later. This election resulted in a significant majority of 2,000 votes for the parties favoring a union with Denmark, and a new unionist coalition was formed. Based on their growth in votes they chose not to pass the secession, but as a compromise, the Home Rule Act was constituted and came into force on 1 April 1948.
As it was then, this election is still today shrouded in controversy, and there exist two popular stances in this discussion. On one hand, some people argue that there was a resolve in favor of independence, as there actually was a factual majority for secession, even if it was a small one. On the other hand, other people argue that the majority was far too small, as there were in fact only 161 more votes for independence, and this side specifically argues that only a qualified majority can be large enough grounds to pass a vote of such social and political consequence.
Under the Home Rule Act the Faroese Løgting is the legislative authority in special Faroese matters, defined as særanliggender, while other areas are administrated by the Danish national authorities as common matters, fællesanliggender. With the passing of a new statute in 1995 parliamentarism was legally adopted, and at the same time the structure and functions of the Løgting were modernised. A proper Faroese Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
is planned and underway.
Authority
After Home Rule had come into force the parliamentary work of the Løgting changed fundamentally. Before Home Rule the Faroese Parliament had only been a consultative body, whereas now the Faroese Parliament has legislative power within all the branches taken over from the Danish Parliament (Det danske FolketingFolketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
). According to the Home Rule Act the various branches of legislative power are divided into an A-sector and a B-sector.
- The several branches within the A-sector can be taken over by the Løgting, if either the Løgting or the Danish Government so wish.
- The branches within the B-sector can only be transferred to the Løgting if the Faroese Government (Føroya Landsstýri) and the Danish Government agree on the terms.
Matters regarding defence and foreign policy are outside the scope of Home Rule. The Danish Folketing has legislative power in all areas except those which have been taken over by the Løgting. The Faroese have two seats in the Danish Folketing. Within the framework of Home Rule the Løgting provides for constitutional affairs and for the order of business.
According to the Faroese Home Rule Act the organization of internal affairs is solely within the province of the Faroese Parliament. An act concerning this matter was passed on 26 July 1994. According to section No. 1. of this act the division of legal power concerning matters taken over by the Home Rule is now shared jointly between the Faroese Parliament and the Prime Minister, executive power rests with the Government whereas judicial power in such matters rests with the Danish courts. The Parliament is elected for a period of four years, and the maximum membership is 32 members who are elected in public, secret, and direct elections. The government consists of the Prime Minister (løgmaður) and not fewer than two ministers (landsstýrismenn).
The Prime Minister is appointed indirectly by the Parliament. The Chairman of the Parliament after having had talks with the party leaders submits a proposal for a new Prime Minister, a vote is taken, and if a majority of the members reject the candidate then the proposal is rejected, otherwise the candidate is accepted. The Prime Minister appoints the ministers. Neither the Prime Minister nor a minister may hold their seats if a vote no confidence is put forward and 17 MPs are opposed. The Prime Minister has at any time the power to call an election. The Prime Minister and the ministers are not permitted to hold seats in the Parliament.
Committees
The Løgting has 7 standing committees which in accordance with the order of business of the Faroese Parliament are elected for the duration of the election period unless the members of the Parliament agree on electing the committees anew.Standing Committees:
- The FinanceFinance"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
Committee. As provided by section 44, subsection 2 of the Home Rule Act, the committee grants supplementary approbriation and in addition it makes recommendations to the Faroese Parliament on matters of finances, economy, taxes, and duties. - Committee on Foreign AffairsForeign AffairsForeign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
. As provided by section 54 of the Home Rule Act the committee makes recommendations to the Faroese Government on foreign affairs, trade matters, and defence matters, and in addition recommendations on relations with Denmark. - Committee on FisheriesFisheryGenerally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
and IndustryIndustryIndustry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
. Its tasks are to make recommendations to the Parliament on fisheries matters, shipping matters, matters concerning the fishing industry, industrial matters, matters concerning fish farming, agricultural matters, matters concerning the environment, matters concerning communication and transport, matters concerning energy and oil industry, trade matters and furthermore matters concerning commercial companies and registration matters etc. - The Welfare Committee. Its tasks are to make recommendations to the Parliament on social matters, matters concerning the labour market, and matters concerning housing.
- Committee on Judicial AffairsJudiciaryThe judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
. Its tasks are to make recommendations to the Parliament on judicial and municipal matters. - Committee on Governmental Affairs. As provided by section 38 of the Home Rule Act the committee‘s task is to have judicial supervision with the Prime Minister and the ministers and to see to it that they observe the rules of law. The committee has authority to summon the Prime Minister or ministers to explain in detail items concerning any political question.
Election Results since 1906
In 1906, the first political parties in the Faroes were founded: Union Party and Self-Government Party. While the Self-Government Party hasn't played a major role since the Second World War, the Union Party is still among the four big parties, of which each has about 20%: the Social Democratic PartySocial Democratic Party (Faroe Islands)
The Social Democratic Party is a social-democratic, political party in the Faroe Islands, led by Jóannes Eidesgaard.At the legislative elections, 19 January 2008, the party won 19.3% of the popular vote and 6 out of 32 seats....
, the People's Party
People's Party (Faroe Islands)
The Faroese People's Party – Radical Self-Government is a liberal conservative political party in the Faroe Islands, led by Jørgen Niclasen. One of the four major parties, it's had eight seats in the Løgting since the 2011 election, making it the joint-largest party, but neither of the Faroes'...
, and Republic. A coalition between all those parties are possible, but unthinkable between the Union Party and Republic - the differences are just too great.
The Faroese political scene is not only defined by left and right, but also in the question of the union within the Kingdom of Denmark. Republic stands for the most radical concept of full independence and establishing (or better: re-establishing, see above) a republic of the Faroes. They are leftists and compared with socialist parties in other countries. The People's Party is conservative, but also pro-independence.
On the other side are the Social Democratic Party - leftists but more moderate and observant in the question of independence. One can say, if the majority of the Faroese decides to become an independent state, the Social Democrats will support it, if not, they respect the status quo.
The Union Party is the radical counterpart of Republic. They are pro-Denmark, pro-monarchy, and pro-business, thus classified as liberal. However, the present government is a coalition under the Social Democrats together with the Union Party and the People's Party, with Republic as the main opposition.
At the elections each party has a certain letter, which is also used on posters for the campaigns. For example, the People's Party can be represented by XA, which means "make your cross at letter A".
| A | is People's Party People's Party (Faroe Islands) The Faroese People's Party – Radical Self-Government is a liberal conservative political party in the Faroe Islands, led by Jørgen Niclasen. One of the four major parties, it's had eight seats in the Løgting since the 2011 election, making it the joint-largest party, but neither of the Faroes'... |
F | is Framburðsflokkurin | K | crossbench / Funny Party1 |
| B | is Union Party | G | is Centre Party Centre Party (Faroe Islands) The Centre Party is a Christianity-based, agrarian and conservative political party in the Faroe Islands, led by Jenis av Rana.At the 2008 parliamentary election, the party won 8.4% of the popular vote and 3 out of 33 seats... |
L | is Framsóknarflokkurin |
| C | is Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Party (Faroe Islands) The Social Democratic Party is a social-democratic, political party in the Faroe Islands, led by Jóannes Eidesgaard.At the legislative elections, 19 January 2008, the party won 19.3% of the popular vote and 6 out of 32 seats.... |
H | is Verkamannafylkingin | M | is Frælsisfylkingin |
| D | is Self-Government Party | I | is Vinnuflokkurin Vinnuflokkurin Vinnuflokkurin was a political party in the Faroe Islands. It was founded by bank director Thorstein Petersen in 1935. The party was listed at the 1936 elections, and took 8.1 percent of the vote, enough to gain 2 seats at the Løgting... |
N | is Sosialistiski Loysingarflokkurin |
| E | is Republic Republic A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of... |
J | is Loysingarflokkurin | O | is Hin Føroyski Flokkurin |
1Regulation of 2003: (Kunngerð nr. 128 frá 19.12.2003).
| Date | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 July 1906 | 62,4 | 37,6 | ||||||||||||||
| 2 February 1908 | 66,1 | 33,9 | ||||||||||||||
| 12 February 1910 | 72,3 | 24,3 | 3,4 | |||||||||||||
| 2 February 1912 | 52,3 | 41,6 | 6,0 | |||||||||||||
| 2 February 1914 | 52,8 | 47,2 | ||||||||||||||
| 28 February 1916 | 37,9 | 51,7 | 10,4 | |||||||||||||
| 24 April 1918 | 50,3 | 49,7 | ||||||||||||||
| 10 November 1920 | 58,4 | 41,6 | ||||||||||||||
| 22 January 1924 | 58,7 | 39,1 | 2,2 | |||||||||||||
| 23 January 1928 | 46,1 | 10,6 | 42,3 | 1,0 | ||||||||||||
| 19 January 1932 | 50,1 | 10,5 | 37,3 | 0,2 | 1,8 | |||||||||||
| 28 January 1936 | 33,7 | 24,0 | 34,2 | 8,1 | ||||||||||||
| 30 January 1940 | 24,7 | 32,3 | 23,9 | 16,2 | 1,6 | 1,3 | ||||||||||
| 24 August 1943 | 41,5 | 28,3 | 19,9 | 10,4 | ||||||||||||
| 6 November 1945 | 43,4 | 24,4 | 22,8 | 9,4 | ||||||||||||
| 8 November 1946 | 40,9 | 28,7 | 28,1 | 2,3 | ||||||||||||
| 8 November 1950 | 32,3 | 27,3 | 22,4 | 8,2 | 9,8 | |||||||||||
| 8 November 1954 | 20,9 | 26,0 | 19,8 | 7,1 | 23,8 | 2,5 | ||||||||||
| 8 November 1958 | 17,8 | 23,7 | 25,8 | 5,9 | 23,9 | 2,9 | ||||||||||
| 8 November 1962 | 20,2 | 20,3 | 27,5 | 5,9 | 21,6 | 4,4 | ||||||||||
| 8 November 1966 | 21,6 | 23,7 | 27,0 | 4,9 | 20,0 | 2,8 | ||||||||||
| 7 November 1970 | 20,0 | 21,7 | 27,2 | 5,6 | 21,9 | 3,5 | ||||||||||
| 7 November 1974 | 20,5 | 19,1 | 25,8 | 7,2 | 22,5 | 2,5 | 2,5 | |||||||||
| 7 November 1978 | 17,9 | 26,3 | 22,3 | 7,2 | 20,3 | 6,1 | ||||||||||
| 8 November 1980 | 18,9 | 23,9 | 21,7 | 8,4 | 19,0 | 8,2 | ||||||||||
| 8 November 1984 | 21,6 | 21,2 | 23,4 | 8,5 | 19,5 | 5,8 | ||||||||||
| 8 November 1988 | 23,2 | 21,2 | 21,6 | 7,1 | 19,2 | 5,2 | 0,0 | 2,1 | ||||||||
| 17 November 1990 | 21,9 | 18,9 | 27,5 | 8,8 | 14,7 | 5,9 | 2,3 | |||||||||
| 7 July 1994 | 16,0 | 23,4 | 15,3 | 5,6 | 13,7 | 6,3 | 5,8 | 9,5 | 1,9 | 2,4 | ||||||
| 30 April 1998 | 21,3 | 18,1 | 21,9 | 7,6 | 23,8 | 2,5 | 4,1 | 0,8 | ||||||||
| 30 April 2002 | 20,8 | 26,0 | 20,9 | 4,4 | 23,7 | 4,2 | ||||||||||
| 20 January 2004 | 20,6 | 23,7 | 21,8 | 4,6 | 21,7 | 5,2 | 2,4 |
Latest results
The Session of the Løgting
Ólavsøka
Ólavsøka is a national holiday of the Faroe Islands, celebrated on July 29. It is the day when Løgting, the Faroese Parliament, opens its session....
). On 29 July the members of the Løgting, the ministers (landsstýrismenn), the High Commissioner of Denmark (ríkisumboðsmaður), and high officials walk in procession
Procession
A procession is an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner.-Procession elements:...
(skrúðgonga) from the Parliament building to the Cathedral (Havnar kirkja). After the service the procession returns to Parliament House, and the Løgting is opened.
At the first meeting the Prime Minister (Løgmaður) delivers his Saint Olaf’s Day address, in which he gives a general description of the state of the nation. The Løgting has one major parliamentary debate concerning the state of the nation. The debate is about Løgmaður’s Saint Olaf’s Address, and the budget.
As a rule the Løgting debates between 100 and 150 various items in one session.
This Ólavsøka tradition is very old and dates back to the time of the Norwegian rule. In these former times was the Løgting only held one time the year starting with Ólavsøka and sitting 8 days from 6 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon, with church service each day, and all priests of the Faroes attendant. In the 17th century this was a bit modified - now only meeting with all priests at Ólavsøka day.
Historical documentation over the centuries
The protocols of the Løgting assemblies and its other archives from 1852 up to the present are kept at the Faroese National Archive in Tórshavn. The Løgting's protocols from 1615 to 1816 are also preserved at the National Archive. The total archives of the Løgting contain the most important sources of Faroese history. Thus the Faroese Løgting is a parliament with an exceptionally well-documented history, where the archives in fact cover the period right from 1298 to the present. There are only a very few parliaments in Europe with archives preserved to the same extent where the records are continuous both through time and in their contents.Together with the other texts in the Kongsbókin, the Statute concerning sheep breeding on the Faroes (Seyðabrævið) contains information on conditions in society, the economy, the language, culture and cultural history. The Løgting's archives from 1615 to 1816 contain similar rich sources of material on all aspects of the history of the Faroes in that period. The Løgting's archives for the period from 1852 to the present also provide the most important source of information on the more recent and latest political history of the Faroes. The Faroese cultural heritage is founded on this abundance of source material, which is thus at the very heart of the Faroese identity and sense of history right from the landnam period to our own time.
See also
- Politics of the Faroe IslandsPolitics of the Faroe IslandsPolitics of the Faroe Islands takes place in a 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...
- Government of the Faroe Islands
- Elections in the Faroe IslandsElections in the Faroe IslandsThe Faroe Islands elects on national level a legislature. The Faroese Parliament has up to 33 members of parliament, elected for a four year term by proportional representation...
- List of Speakers of the Løgting of the Faroe Islands
- Politics of DenmarkPolitics of DenmarkThe Politics of Denmark takes place in a framework of a parliamentary, representative democratic, constitutional monarchy, in which the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system...
- FolketingFolketingThe Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
Literature
- The Faroese Parliament. Løgtingið 2004 (PDF, 4 pages) - official folder in English and in many parts base of this article.
- Løgtingið 150. Hátíðarrit. 150 ár liðin, síðani Løgtingið varð endurstovnað. Tórshavn: Løgtingið, 2002. ISBN 99918-966-3-5 (3 volumes, written in Faroese)
- Hátíðarrit 1. Ritgerð: Hans Andrias Sølvará: ISBN 99918-966-4-3 (PDF, 18 MB) - history from the Vikings to the present
- Hátíðarrit 2. Sergreinar og ævisøgur: ISBN 99918-966-5-1 (PDF, 36 MB) - articles about special topics and with biographies of all Løgting members since 1852
- Hátíðarrit 3. Val og valtøl, leitorð og yvirlit: ISBN 99918-966-6-x - elections and results
External links
- logting.fo - Homepage (in Faroese)
- Stamps.fo - "The Faroese Parliament - 150 years" (public domain and base for this article)