Territorial Autonomy in European Democracies: The Case of the Faroe Islands
Abstract
The paper analyses the political and territorial autonomy of the Faroe Islands within the Kingdom of Denmark. After the introductory part, there is a presentation of the basic features of the theoretical concept of territorial autonomy. It is followed by a brief overview of the evolution of the status of the Faroe Islands, which were a Norwegian and Danish colony for centuries, and since the middle of the last century they have acquired autonomous status within the Kingdom of Denmark. The central part of the paper is an analysis of the legal norms that regulate Faroese autonomy, in particular the Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands of 1948 and two acts from 2005 – the Foreign Policy Act of the Faroe Islands and the Assumption Act of the Faroe Islands. After that, there is an analysis of the current political situation in the Faroe Islands, which is compared with the current situation in Greenland, another autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. The concluding remarks summarize the research results and offer answers to open legal and political questions.
References
Ackrén, М. (2006). The Faroe Islands: Options for Independence. Island Studies Journal, Vol. 1/2. 223-238
Assumption Act of the Faroe Islands, Danish Act No. 578 of June 24th 2005. Преузето 10. 2. 2025. https://www.government.fo/en/foreign-relations/constitutional-status/the-assumption-act
Benedikter, T. (2009). The World’s Modern Autonomy Systems – Concepts and Experiences of Regional Territorial Autonomy. Bozen/Bolzano: Institute of Minority Rights.
Brańka, T. (2018). Greenland – from Autonomy to (In)dependence. Przegląd Strategiczny, 11/2018, 107-128.
Gad, U. P. (2020). Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Denmark: Unity or Community? U: P. M. Christiansen, J. Elklit & P. Nedergaard (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Danish Politics (str. 28-45), Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Ghai, Y. (2000). Ethnicity and Autonomy: A Framework for Analysis. U: Y. Ghai (ed.), Autonomy and Ethnicity: Negotiating Competing Claims in Multi-Ethnic States. (str. 1-26), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Electomania. Faroe Islands: majority in favor of independence. Приступљено 14. 4. 2025. https://electomania.es/islas-feroe-mayoria-a-favor-de-la-independencia/
Euractiv. Virtually no Greenlanders want to join the US, new poll finds. Приступљено 10. 4. 2025. https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/virtually-no-greenlander-wants-to-join-the-us-poll-finds/
Jákupsstovu, B. í, Berg, R. (2012). The Faroe Islands’ Security Policy in a Process of Devolution. Icelandic Review of Politics and Administration. Vol. 8/2. 413-430.
Jensen, J. A. (2003). The Position of Greenland and the Faroe Islands within the Danish Realm. European Public Law. Vol. 9/2. 170-178
Марковић, Г. (2021). Уставно право. Источно Ново Сарајево: ЈП „Завод за уџбенике и наставна средства“.
Mørkøre, J. (1991). Class Interests and Nationalism in Faroese Politics, North Atlantic Studies, Vol. 3/1. 57-67.
Николић, П. (1993). Уставно право. Београд: Службени лист СРЈ.
Nordstrom, B. (2023). Scandinavia since 1500 (Second edition). Minnesota: University оf Minnesota Press.
Орловић, С. (2018). Уставно право. Нови Сад: Правни факултет у Новом Саду.
Olafsson, Á. (2000). Constitutionalism and Economics in the Faroes. U: G. Baldacchino, D. Milne (eds.), Lessons from the Political Economy of Small Islands (str. 121-140). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Olausson, P. (2007), Autonomy and Islands: A Global Study of the Factors that Determine Island Autonomy. Åbo: Åbo Akademi University Press.
Симовић, Д. Петров, В. (2018). Уставно право. Београд: Криминалистичко-полицијска академија.
Foreign Policy Act of the Faroe Islands, Danish Act No. 80 of May 14th 2005. Преузето 10. 2. 2025. https://www.government.fo/en/foreign-relations/constitutional-status/the-foreign-policy-act
Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands, Danish Act No. 137 of March 23rd 1948. Преузето 10. 2. 2025. https://www.government.fo/en/foreign-relations/constitutional-status/the-home-rule-act