Open AccessThe Faroe Islands: Options for Independence
Author(s) -
Maria Ackrén
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
island studies journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.2
H-Index - 21
ISSN - 1715-2593
DOI - 10.24043/isj.195
Subject(s) - independence (probability theory) , politics , sovereignty , nationalism , context (archaeology) , state (computer science) , political science , danish , geography , european union , political economy , law , sociology , archaeology , international trade , linguistics , statistics , philosophy , mathematics , algorithm , computer science , business
The Faroe Islands are currently at a crossroads in their constitutional status. Discussions concerning changes in the current constitutional status are ongoing and several analyses about possible trajectories of future development are being proposed. Argued in a context of Faroese nationalism, this article tries to assess these trajectories in the future jurisdictional and political development of the Faroe Islands in terms of three possible scenarios: independence or full sovereignty (as is Iceland); a freely associated statehood (as are Niue and the Cook Islands in relation to New Zealand); or a confederation, probably involving changes at both the central level of the Danish state and the European Union level. This article argues that the most likely future development is that of a state in free association with Denmark. Meanwhile, island politics can change very quickly and the traditional cleavages in Faroese politics are liable to changing degrees of public support.