Faroese opposition candidate calls 2011 pension cuts a mistake

A leading candidate for the Faroese centre-right People’s Party has described the controversial 2011 pension reductions as an error, according to a broadcast interview with public broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya.

Fróði Magnussen, a former chair of the Faroese Business Council and current parliamentary candidate for the People’s Party, confirmed in the Tuesday evening programme Tinggáttin that “it was a mistake to cut pensions.”

Prime Minister Aksel V. Johannesen has previously criticised both the People’s Party and the Union Party—which formed the government at the time—for implementing the cuts, arguing they contributed to today’s strained public finances.

Magnussen’s remarks come ahead of the Faroese parliamentary elections, where pension policy and fiscal sustainability remain key issues.