2015 Faroese general election

General elections were held in the Faroe Islands on 1 September 2015.[1] Elections for the Danish Folketing were held beforehand on 18 June.

2015 Faroese general election
Faroe Islands
1 September 2015
Turnout88.8%
PartyLeader % Seats +/–
Social Democratic Aksel V. Johannesen 25.1% 8 +2
Republic Høgni Hoydal 20.7% 7 +1
People's Jørgen Niclasen 18.9% 6 -2
Union Kaj Leo Johannesen 18.7% 6 -2
Progress Poul Michelsen 7.0% 2 0
Centre Jenis av Rana 5.5% 2 0
Self-Government Jógvan Skorheim 4.1% 2 +1
Prime Minister before Prime Minister
Kaj Leo Johannesen
Union
Aksel V. Johannesen
Social Democratic

Background

On 4 August 2015 the Løgting passed a motion that criticized Prime Minister Kaj Leo Johannesen and former Minister of the Interior Kári P. Højgaard,[2] accusing Johannesen of lying to the Løgting in connection with a 1 million kroner break fee clause in the contract led by the Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners to build a sub-sea tunnel between Eysturoy and Streymoy.

Although Kaj Leo Johannesen had previously told the Løgting that he had no part of the break fee, a judicial inquiry led by Hans Gammeltoft-Hansen (the Danish ombudsman from 1987 until 2012) confirmed in June 2015 that Kaj Leo Johannesen had knowingly misled the Løgting on several occasions,[3] thereby breaking the law.[4][5] For some time not much happened, the Prime Minister refused to take any action but went on holiday for a month. The speaker of the Løgting refused to assemble parliament, which had no scheduled meeting before 29 July 2015.

On 29 July Kaj Leo Johannesen gave his annual Ólavsøka speech to the Løgting, ending it by calling general elections. A week later on 4 August, the Løgting assembled to discuss the Johannesen's speech, as the law requires. All 33 members of the Løgting voted yes, including Højgaard. Republic and Progress then demanded a vote of no confidence in Kaj Leo Johannesen, in which 14 MPs voted for the motion, 9 against it and 10 cast blank votes, short of the majority of 17 required to pass the motion. Only 9 of 20 MPs from Kaj Leo Johannesen's coalition chose to back him and voted against the motion,[6] including six from his own party, the Speaker Jógvan á Lakjuni from the People's Party and the two MPs from the Centre Party. However, three Union Party MPs cast blank votes, including Deputy Chairman Bárður Nielsen, whilst People's Party chairman Jákup Mikkelsen voted for the motion.

Kaj Leo Johannesen maintains that he did not lie, but only gave incorrect information to the Løgting.[7]

Electoral system

The 33 members of the Løgting were elected by open list proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency with an electoral threshold of 133 of votes (~3.03%). Seats were allocated using the d'Hondt method.[8]

Opinion polls

Hustings in Trongisvágur on 25 August 2015; from left to right: Kári P. Højgaard (D), Jákup Suni Lauritsen (H), Kristin Michelsen (C), Páll á Reynatúgvu (E), Elsebeth Mercedis Gunnleygsdóttur (A), Hanna Jensen (F) and Magni Laksáfoss (B).

The ruling centre-right coalition led by Johannesen was consistently behind in the polls, while the Social Democrats led by Aksel Johannesen were well ahead. However, polls closer to election day showed a tightening race.

Vote

Date Source PP UP SP NS R P CP
31 August 2015Gallup18.2%19.0%22.9%3.1%19.4%10.6%6.8%
31 August 2015Fynd20.4%19.2%19.3%5.9%16.5%11.2%7.4%
28 August 2015Fynd Archived 2015-08-30 at the Wayback Machine20.8%19.6%21.3%4.9%18.0%8.7%6.7%
20 August 2015Fynd18.3%21.1%21.3%4.2%17.6%11.7%5.9%
6 August 2015Fynd18.6%19.0%23.0%2.9%20.2%11.6%4.7%
22 April 2015Fynd16.2%19.7%25.8%4.3%18.2%11.0%4.8%
6 March 2015Fynd18.9%18.1%26.5%3.1%21.3%6.1%5.8%
5 December 2014Gallup18.9%17.4%28.3%3.2%21.3%5.4%5.5%
6 November 2014Fynd20.1%22.4%25.8%2.4%21.1%3.3%4.8%
5–11 September 2013Gallup17.2%22.1%21.7%4.5%23.6%5.7%5.2%
2011 election results22.5%24.7%17.7%4.2%18.3%6.3%6.2%

Seats

Date Source PP UP SP NS R P CP
31 August 2015Gallup6681642
31 August 2015Fynd7662543
28 August 2015Fynd Archived 2015-08-30 at the Wayback Machine7672632
20 August 2015Fynd6771642
6 August 2015Fynd6680742
20–21 April 2015Fynd5691642
6 March 2015Fynd6691722
5 December 2014Gallup6691722
6 November 2014Fynd7790712
5–11 September 2013Gallup6771822
2011 election results8861622

Results

The opposition parties made a major comeback from the 2011 elections, with the Social Democratic Party and Republic gaining two and one seats respectively. Progress regained its second seat, which it lost in 2011 when Janus Rein left the party. Despite a small reduction in their vote share, New Self-Government gained one seat.

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party8,09325.098+2
Republic6,69120.747+1
People's Party6,10218.926–2
Union Party6,04618.746–2
Progress2,2416.9520
Centre Party1,7795.5220
Self-Government1,3054.052+1
Total32,257100.00330
Valid votes32,25799.64
Invalid/blank votes1170.36
Total votes32,374100.00
Registered voters/turnout36,45888.80
Source: KVF

Of the 117 void votes, 76 were blank and 41 invalid.[9]

By region and polling district

Towns and settlements on the Faroes, the polling places Fossanes and Giljanes are schools and therefore not on the map.

There were 58 polling districts (down from 60 in 2011), of which 56 were towns and two (Giljanes and Fossanes) were schools. Giljanes was one of the two polling places on the western island of Vágar, while Fossanes is located on the Norðoyar. There were two polling places in the capital area; Tórshavn, which includes the suburbs of Hvítanes and Hoyvík, and the southern suburb Argir. The Vágar region includes the neighbouring island Mykines and the Sandoy region includes Skúvoy, while the rest of Streymoy includes the polling places on the islets Nólsoy and Hestur.

Area People's Party Union Party Social Democratic Party New Self-Government Republic Progress Centre Party
Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%
National6,10218.96,04618.78,09325.11,3054.16,69120.72,2417.01,7795.5
Capital Area1,65513.51,76914.43,32227.02482.03,17925.81,45111.86785.5
Rest of Streymoy33815.837217.359127.6653.049022.81929.0974.5
Eysturoy1,46218.52,14727.21,46118.55817.41,30516.54035.15376.8
Klaksvík1,04032.449915.670522.02768.645614.2662.11665.2
Rest of Norðoyar28538.29312.413518.1435.811415.3222.9557.4
Suðuroy56618.148015.41,33542.7290.957418.4260.81163.7
Vágar52126.646023.544022.5562.931716.2633.21025.2
Sandoy23526.922625.910411.970.825629.3182.1283.2
Argir19514.620715.536627.5262.030623.015311.5806.0
Árnafjørður1541.7411.125.612.81027.800.0411.1
Dalur311.127.42074.100.027.400.000.0
Eiði7316.28619.18017.8224.912928.7255.6357.8
Elduvík323.1323.1646.200.017.700.000.0
Fámjin810.71925.32938.700.01925.300.000.0
Fossanes9135.43714.44818.7103.93814.831.23011.7
Fuglafjørður21121.422022.326026.3181.820420.7454.6292.9
Funningsfjørður920.524.5920.524.51227.3511.4511.4
Funningur716.7614.31023.8716.7716.737.124.8
Giljanes32825.929123.028022.2423.322017.4423.3614.8
Gjógv829.6622.227.400.0829.600.0311.1
Gøta21328.912416.813618.5435.811715.9638.5415.6
Haldórsvík75.61915.25644.8129.61310.41512.032.4
Haraldssund715.9511.4715.924.51840.9511.400.0
Hattarvík650.000.0216.718.3325.000.000.0
Hellurnar00.0430.8538.517.7323.100.000.0
Hestur16.7320.0640.000.0426.700.016.7
Hósvík2110.13818.46732.483.93918.82110.1136.3
Hov811.31419.73853.522.879.911.411.4
Húsar12.91029.41441.212.9411.8411.800.0
Húsavík3355.01321.758.300.0711.723.300.0
Hvalba14534.47618.112229.030.75312.641.0184.3
Hvalvík6521.27223.57524.592.94815.7206.5175.6
Kaldbak4227.1138.42113.595.84126.5117.11811.6
Kirkja417.4626.114.31043.514.300.014.3
Kollafjørður13221.711118.216827.6111.812220.0416.7243.9
Kunoy36.448.51736.2510.61531.912.124.3
Kvívík318.97621.810329.5102.98724.9349.782.3
Leirvík12522.411019.712021.5193.411019.7376.6376.6
Lopra2129.679.91926.800.01521.111.4811.3
Mikladalur1134.400.0412.526.31237.513.126.3
Mykines218.2436.419.119.1327.300.000.0
Nólsoy1913.61410.03927.910.73827.12316.464.3
Oyndarfjørður1211.42826.72321.987.62120.087.654.8
Oyrarbakki4211.512634.69125.0164.45615.4298.041.1
Porkeri4319.62812.810146.120.92210.010.52210.0
Runavík35519.552829.121511.830616.91598.8583.219510.7
Sandur14640.1298.0339.120.514339.361.651.4
Sandvík1218.2812.12639.411.51725.823.000.0
Skálabotnur34.6710.81421.511.52944.611.51015.4
Skálavík2122.32223.42021.311.12728.722.111.1
Skáli5813.511927.710424.2368.46414.9153.5347.9
Skopun289.514649.3248.131.06722.662.0227.4
Skúvoy412.11442.426.113.01030.326.100.0
Strendur7412.122436.511017.9437.07311.9223.66811.1
Sumba1710.02011.87041.252.95632.900.021.2
Svínoy838.1314.329.514.8628.600.014.8
Sørvágur19127.916524.115923.2131.99413.7213.1416.0
Tjørnuvík23.9611.82345.147.81121.635.923.9
Toftir12315.535244.59512.0536.78911.3313.9486.1
Tórshavn1,46013.31,56214.22,95626.92222.02,87326.21,29811.85985.5
Tvøroyri16814.51119.666957.6121.015012.9121.0393.4
Vágur14416.519722.626129.940.523526.950.6253.0
Velbastaður189.62010.63317.610.58746.32412.852.7
Vestmanna14617.420224.018121.560.722326.5617.3212.5
Viðareiði13957.72410.03815.8104.172.983.3156.2
Source: KVF

See also

References

  1. Samuelsen, Ingi (29 July 2015). "Løgtingsval 1. september" (in Faroese). Portal.fo. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  2. Uppskot um misálit á løgmann fall KVF, 4 August 2015
  3. in.fo - Ein hjálpandi hond til løgtingið Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine in.fo, 23 June 2015
  4. Uppskot um misálitisváttan Archived 2015-09-07 at the Wayback Machine Norðlysið, 4 August 2015
  5. To færøske toppolitikere brød lov i kontroversiel tunnelsag Business, 25 June 2015
  6. Soleiðis atkvøddu tingfólk um løgmann (Således stemte lagtingsmedlemmer om lagmanden) Archived 2015-08-06 at the Wayback Machine in.fo, 4 August 2015
  7. Løgmaður : Eg havi ikki logið (Lagmanden: Jeg har ikke løjet) Archived 2015-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Portal.fo, 24 June 2015
  8. Elections to the Faroese Løgting Election Resources
  9. Løgtingsval 1. september 2015 KVF
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