Faroese independence vote still divides opinion 80 years on

Eight decades after the Faroese referendum on independence, the question of the islands’ future relationship with Denmark remains unresolved, broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya reports.

On September 14, 1946, voters were asked to decide the future status of the Faroe Islands and their relationship with Denmark. The result was historic: 48.7 percent voted for secession, while 47.2 percent supported the proposal put forward by the Danish government. The difference was just 161 votes.

However, the Danish government considered the referendum merely advisory, and secession was not carried out. The Faroe Islands instead received the Home Rule Act.

Historian Hans Andrias Sølvará said it came as a surprise to many that secession won the vote. He made the comments on KVF’s morning programme.

Question remains current

The issue remains relevant today. A recent Spyr.fo poll conducted by KVF asked whether people wanted secession between the Faroe Islands and Denmark, using wording similar to that of the 1946 referendum. Forty-one percent answered yes.

When respondents were asked more specifically about the islands’ future status, 30 percent said the Faroe Islands should separate from Denmark, while 13 percent wanted to keep the current constitutional arrangement unchanged.

To mark the 80th anniversary, KVF television is rebroadcasting a programme made in 2016 about the process that led to the September 14, 1946 referendum. It covers the narrow majority for secession and the Danish king’s subsequent dissolution of the Løgting, the Faroese parliament, followed by a new election.

The programme features Zakarias Wang, Hans Andrias Sølvará, Óli Breckmann, Pól á Kletti and Høgni Mohr. It airs at 8pm.