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

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.[citation needed] Today it supports obtaining independence through gradually increasing Faroese autonomy until the Faroe Islands becomes a de facto independent state.[citation needed]

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. At the 2011 election to the Løgting, the party won 4% of the votes; two members were elected. The party failed to reach the electoral threshold of 3.03% in the 2022 general election and therefore did not win any seats. It reentered the Løgting in the 2026 general election with 1 seat.

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 1909–1936Parliamentary leaders[citation needed] 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:

NameElected (E), Re-elected (R), or Appointed (A)Votes obtained in the general electionTitle
Sámal Petur í GrundE549Member of the Løgting

Election results

YearVotesSeatsPosition
Faroese general election Year Votes Seats Position # % # ± 1910 289 24.3 7 / 20 New 2nd 1912 365 41.6 7 / 20 0 2nd 1914 625 47.2 8 / 20 1 2nd 1916 542 51.7 9 / 20 1 1st 1918 2,938 49.7 11 / 20 2 2nd 1920 2,476 41.6 10 / 20 1 2nd 1924 2,450 39.1 10 / 23 0 2nd 1928 2,680 42.3 11 / 23 1 2nd 1932 2,931 37.3 8 / 21 3 2nd 1936 2,694 34.2 8 / 24 0 1st 1940 1,365 16.2 4 / 24 4 4th 1943 1,001 10.4 0 / 25 4 4th 1945 1,235 9.4 0 / 23 0 4th 1946 With the Social Democratic Party 2 / 20 2 3rd 1950 957 8.2 2 / 25 0 5th 1954 908 7.1 2 / 27 0 5th 1958 816 5.9 2 / 30 0 5th 1962 892 5.9 2 / 29 0 5th 1966 867 4.9 1 / 26 1 5th 1970 1,010 5.6 1 / 26 0 5th 1974 1,430 7.2 2 / 26 1 5th 1978 1,626 7.2 2 / 32 0 5th 1980 1,953 8.4 3 / 32 1 5th 1984 2,135 8.5 2 / 32 1 5th 1988 2,033 7.1 2 / 32 0 5th 1990 2,489 8.8 3 / 32 1 5th 1994 1,437 5.6 2 / 32 1 8th 1998 2,116 7.6 2 / 32 0 5th 2002 1,351 4.4 1 / 32 1 5th 2004 1,461 4.6 1 / 32 0 6th 2008 2,244 7.2 2 / 33 1 6th 2011 1,290 4.2 1 / 33 1 7th 2015 1,305 4.0 2 / 33 1 7th 2019 1,157 3.4 1 / 33 1 7th 2022 938 2.7 0 / 33 1 7th 2026 1,284 3.6 1 / 33 1 7thDanish 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
#%#±
191028924.37 / 20New2nd
191236541.67 / 2002nd
191462547.28 / 2012nd
191654251.79 / 2011st
19182,93849.711 / 2022nd
19202,47641.610 / 2012nd
19242,45039.110 / 2302nd
19282,68042.311 / 2312nd
19322,93137.38 / 2132nd
19362,69434.28 / 2401st
19401,36516.24 / 2444th
19431,00110.40 / 2544th
19451,2359.40 / 2304th
1946With the Social Democratic Party2 / 2023rd
19509578.22 / 2505th
19549087.12 / 2705th
19588165.92 / 3005th
19628925.92 / 2905th
19668674.91 / 2615th
19701,0105.61 / 2605th
19741,4307.22 / 2615th
19781,6267.22 / 3205th
19801,9538.43 / 3215th
19842,1358.52 / 3215th
19882,0337.12 / 3205th
19902,4898.83 / 3215th
19941,4375.62 / 3218th
19982,1167.62 / 3205th
20021,3514.41 / 3215th
20041,4614.61 / 3206th
20082,2447.22 / 3316th
20111,2904.21 / 3317th
20151,3054.02 / 3317th
20191,1573.41 / 3317th
20229382.70 / 3317th
20261,2843.61 / 3317th
YearVotesMembers
#%
19393145.00 / 1
1943Did not contest
1945With the Social Democratic Party0 / 1
19478098.40 / 2
195053514.80 / 2
1953 (Apr)35110.40 / 2
1953 (Sept)Did not contest
1957
1960
1964
1966
1968
19716484.90 / 2
19735534.20 / 2
1975Did not contest
19775513.40 / 2
19797974.30 / 2
19818675.20 / 2
19841,0335.60 / 2
19871,0704.80 / 2
19888973.90 / 2
19901,2406.90 / 2
19944692.40 / 2
19981,6037.70 / 2
20014341.60 / 2
20055852.40 / 2
20077993.50 / 2
20114832.30 / 2
20154001.70 / 2
20193341.30 / 2
2022Did not contest
2026

External links

  • (in Faroese)