Faroese election makes history as 20-year-old becomes one of the biggest vote-winners
Friday 27th March 2026 on 04:45 in
Denmark
A 20-year-old first-time candidate has become the youngest person ever elected to the Faroese parliament, securing nearly 1,000 personal votes and outperforming her own party leader, *Morgenposten fra Færøerne* reports.
Bjørg Brynhildardóttir, running for the pro-independence party Tjóðveldi, received 972 votes in Tuesday’s general election—more than any other candidate in her party and the fourth-highest total overall. Speaking after the results, she said: *”I’m completely overwhelmed. This is insane. I’m so grateful for all the votes—the youth now have a voice in the Løgting [Faroese parliament].”*
Her unexpected success stunned political observers. Sveinur Tróndarson, a veteran journalist with Faroese broadcaster KVF, called it *”without doubt the biggest surprise of the night”* and admitted he had never seen anything like it in 25 years of covering Faroese politics.
Tjóðveldi celebrated Brynhildardóttir as *”the voice of youth”* and a figure who reconnected the party with its working-class roots. Former party leader Høgni Hoydal described her as *”a new political superstar”* and pledged to ensure she would not be *”drowned in old political problems.”* The party now faces the task of strengthening youth representation and equality—key themes of her campaign.
The election also saw 29-year-old Beinir Johannesen, leader of the Union Party (Fólkaflokkurin), emerge as the overall winner. If he forms a government, he could unseat his uncle, current Prime Minister Axel V. Johannesen, becoming the youngest head of government in Faroese history.
Brynhildardóttir, who had worked at an after-school centre, resigned after her victory, telling employers: *”I won’t be coming in tomorrow. I’ve got a new job now.”*
The election—Faroe’s second in three days—now shifts focus to coalition talks, with speculation about a broad government including multiple parties. The final power struggle may pit nephew against uncle for control of the archipelago, home to roughly 54,000 people and 1.27 sheep per resident.