Faroese coalition negotiations in 2008 took 36 hours of silence, recalls Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen

A tense political standoff in the Faroe Islands in 2008 was resolved only after 36 hours of near-total silence among party leaders, former Prime Minister Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen revealed in an interview with Faroese national broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya.

Johannesen described how he, alongside Jóannes Eidesgaard and Jørgen Niclasen, locked themselves in a room to determine who would become prime minister after elections left the parties deadlocked. “Sometimes, the best thing is just to stay quiet,” he said, recalling the grueling negotiations that ultimately led to a breakthrough.

The account sheds light on the behind-the-scenes dynamics of Faroese coalition politics, where patience—and silence—proved decisive in forming a government.