The Faroe Islands: Options for Independence

• Published in: Island Studies Journal
• Main Author: Maria Ackrén
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Island Studies Journal 2006
• Subjects: Physical geography; GB3-5030; Faroe Islands; New Zealand; Iceland
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.195; https://doaj.org/article/d3ed34f84c754923ba78cb21ba2a54ce

The Faroe Islands are currently at a crossroads in their constitutional status. Discussions concerning changes in the current constitutional status are ongoing and several analyses about possible trajectories of future development are being proposed. Argued in a context of Faroese nationalism, this article tries to assess these trajectories in the future jurisdictional and political development of the Faroe Islands in terms of three possible scenarios: independence or full sovereignty (as is Iceland); a freely associated statehood (as are Niue and the Cook Islands in relation to New Zealand); or a confederation, probably involving changes at both the central level of the Danish state and the European Union level. This article argues that the most likely future development is that of a state in free association with Denmark. Meanwhile, island politics can change very quickly and the traditional cleavages in Faroese politics are liable to changing degrees of public support.