Faroese election pits nephew against uncle in race for prime minister

Faroese voters head to the polls Tuesday in a parliamentary election where 29-year-old conservative leader Beinir Johannesen could unseat his own uncle, current Prime Minister Aksel V. Johannesen, in a potential shift away from the island’s traditional bloc politics, reports DR.

The conservative Fólkaflokkurin party, led by Johannesen, enters the election as the frontrunner in polls, while the ruling Social Democrats (Javnaðarflokkurin), led by his uncle, have seen declining support. Analysts suggest the younger Johannesen—who took over a fractured party in 2022 and has since seen his popularity surge—is now the most likely candidate to become the Faroe Islands’ next prime minister, known locally as lagmand.

“He appeals to many young voters, says the right things, and hasn’t yet had to make any unpopular decisions,” Jón Brian Hvidtfeldt, editor and host of the Faroese election night broadcast, told DR. Some polls have shown Fólkaflokkurin winning up to 13 of the 33 seats in the Løgting, the Faroese parliament.

Johannesen, who has spent a decade in politics despite his age, campaigned on housing for young people, family-friendly policies, and greater Faroese independence. He told DR he aims to renegotiate the islands’ relationship with Denmark as “a partnership between equal, sovereign nations.”

When asked about potentially replacing his uncle—a scenario that would make him the youngest lagmand in Faroese history—Johannesen downplayed the personal dynamic: “We mostly talk about football” at family gatherings. Both men reportedly maintained a respectful tone during their final pre-election debate Monday.

A native of Klaksvík, the Faroes’ second-largest city and a key fishing hub, Johannesen balances politics with a side career as a handball player for the local team. His unexpected rise has made him a cultural curiosity: a suit-wearing former fish factory worker whose campaign playlists are packed with 2000s pop hits. One voter in Klaksvík joked that his 9-year-old son opposed Johannesen’s candidacy—fearing it would cost the team its star player.

The election caps a lively campaign season, with parties deploying everything from fermented lamb snacks to sheep-themed stunts to woo voters in the North Atlantic archipelago.