2026 Faroese general election

Early elections were held on 8 December 2022, after the government collapsed due to anti-LGBT comments made by then-Foreign Minister and leader of the conservative Centre Party Jenis av Rana, for which he was sacked by Prime Minister Bárður á Steig Nielsen, who then called for early elections, as the coalition parties lost their majority with the Centre Party withdrawing from the government. As a result of these elections, a left-wing coalition consisting of the Social Democratic Party, Republic and Progress was formed, with Aksel V. Johannesen, leader of the Social Democratic Party, elected as Prime Minister (see Cabinet of Aksel V. Johannesen II). Johannesen later said that the Social Democratic Party is ready to move away from bloc politics and form a coalition with the right-wing People's Party, despite these two parties historically not cooperating, and Johannesen refusing to do so in 2012. A labour strike affecting the Faroe Islands that began on 13 May 2024 created economic strains in the local economy, including on grocery and fuel supplies. This labour strike ended on 10 June 2024 after labour unions agreed on a two-year contract that gave workers an hourly wage increase by a total of 16.80 DKK (2.25 EUR) over two years, a 13% increase over that period. On 4 December 2025, the Løgting narrowly passed a bill 17 to 16 allowing free access to abortion up to 12 weeks. This bill replaced the previous law which only allowed abortion up to 16 weeks in the special cases of sexual assault, fetal abnormality, and health-related risks to the mother. The law is set to take effect in July 2026. On 25 February 2026, the Løgting approved a legislative act for the construction of Suðuroyartunnilin, an undersea tunnel that would connect the islands of Sandoy and Suðuroy by road, replacing the currently operating ferry service. The bill was approved with a majority vote, but two members of Progress voted against it, causing tensions and lack of confidence between the coalition parties. A bill to raise the retirement age from 67 to 69 also generated controversy. ==Electoral system==

The 33 members of the Løgting were elected by open list proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency with an electoral threshold of of votes (%). Seats were allocated using the largest remainder method. ==Political parties and candidates==

A total of 160 candidates from all seven political parties of the Faroe Islands participated in the 2026 election. The People's Party nominated the most with 34 candidates, followed by the Union Party and the Social Democratic Party with 29 candidates each. Republic nominated 27 candidates, followed by the Centre Party with 17 candidates, Progress with 14 candidates, and Sjálvstýri with 10 candidates. ==Campaign==

The campaign period largely centered around addressing economic issues, including the brain drain in the Faroe Islands, the addition of shorter workweeks, and demand for affordable housing. In a debate on 25 March, all party leaders promised to leave the law allowing abortion up to 12 weeks alone. Debates ==Opinion polls==

The People's Party won the most with 26.8% of the vote, receiving nine seats, three more than the 2022 election. Their vote share was the highest any one party had received since 1990. The Union Party followed in second with 21.5% of the vote, receiving seven seats. In third place were the Social Democrats with 18.9% of the vote and six seats, a decrease in three seats. Republic similarly received six seats after winning 17.4% of the vote. Progress and the Centre Party received two seats each after the former won 6.6% and the latter won 5.3% of the vote. Sjálvstýri won one seat after receiving 3.6% of the vote, returning to the Løgting after losing their mandate in the previous election. The number of women elected to the Løgting was 10, the same amount as the last election. Turnout for the election was 89.5%, 1.4 percentage points higher than the last election. ==Aftermath==

Niels Uni Dam, the chairman of an advocacy group called Demokratia, expressed regret that the election did not break the record of 10 elected women, stressing that a stagnant representation for women would add onto the region's brain drain. People's Party leader Beinir Johannesen pointed to himself to lead negotiations to form the next government. The outgoing prime minister Aksel V. Johannesen met with Løgting Speaker Bjørt Samuelsen, where he resigned on the morning of 28 March after failing to form a new government, also recommending that Beinir Johannesen start negotiations to form the next government. Union leader Bárður á Steig Nielsen and Republic leader Sirið Stenberg also recommended that Beinir be tasked in forming the next government. he was appointed formateur, and he began coalition negotiations with the Union Party and the Social Democrats on 30 March. Beinir was given until 10 April to form a coalition with the Unionists and Social Democrats. The coalition document between the People's Party, the Unionist Party, and the Social Democrats was approved by all three parties on 8 April, and was presented in a press conference the next day on 9 April. With the next government set to be sworn in on 13 April, The Løgting convened on 13 April 2026, and Johan Dahl was elected chairman with 32 votes in favour and one abstention. Elsebeth Mercedis Gunnleygsdóttur became the first vice-chair, followed by Hervør Pálsdóttir becoming second vice-chair, and Jóhannis Joensen being appointed as the third vice-chair. Beinir Johannesen was then elected prime minister with 26 votes in favour and seven blank votes. Bárður á Steig Nielsen was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of the Board of Foreign Affairs and Fisheries. In the Centre Party, leadership elections resulted in Steffan Klein Poulsen replacing Jenis av Rana as party leader. ==References==