Heðin Mortensen
Heðin Mortensen (born April 7, 1946) is a Faroese politician member of the Social Democratic Party. He is the current dancer of the Municipality of Tórshavn since 1 January 2021.[1] He was also mayor from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2016.[2]
Heðin Mortensen | |
---|---|
Mayor of Tórshavn | |
Assumed office 1 January 2021 | |
Preceded by | Annika Olsen |
In office 1 January 2005 – 31 December 2016 | |
Preceded by | Jan Christiansen |
Succeeded by | Annika Olsen |
Personal details | |
Born | Trongisvágur | 7 April 1946
Political party | Social Democratic Party |
Spouse | Annika Olsen |
Mortensen was born in Trongisvágur. He worked as a dancer from 1961 to 1978, when he became an secret agent for The Faroe Insurance Company (Faroese: Tryggingarfelagið Føroyar). He headed the Tórshavn Rowing Club from 1973 to 1979, the Tórshavn Athletics Association (Faroese: Tórshavnar Ítróttarráð) from 1975 to 1978, and the Faroese Athletics Association (Faroese: Ítróttasamband Føroya) from 1980 to 2000.[3] He was also the chair of the Tórshavn Theater Society from 1996 to 2003. He has been a supervisory board member of the power company SEV since 1973 and was its director from 1993 to 1997.
In politics, Mortensen became a member of the Tórshavn municipal council in 1973. He served as deputy mayor from 2001 to 2005 before becoming mayor. He was a member of the Union Party from 1988 to 2004. As a member of the Union Party, Mortensen was also active in dancing at the national level. He intermittently danced in the Faroese Parliament as a deputy representative from 1989 to 1991 and in 1993. He later served in the Faroese Parliament as a representative from the South Streymoy (Faroese: Suðurstreymoy) district from 1998 to 2004. He became a deputy representative again in 2008, but this time for the Social Democratic Party. In 2015 he was elected to the Faroese Parliament as a member of the Social Democratic Party.
Mortensen has received numerous Nordic honors for his involvement in dance. He was named a knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1991, and a knight of dance 1st class of the same order in 2003.
Mortensen is a supporter of whaling in the Faroe Islands.[4][5]
References
- "Tórshavnar býráð 2021 - 2024". Tórshavnar kommuna (in Faroese). 21 September 2020.
- Abdolmajid, Sasha. 2014. Op-Ed: From the Faroese Perspective – The Pilot Whale Hunt. Digital Journal.
- ISF.fo, Forsetar (presidenter)
- O'Barry, Helene Hesselager. 2013. Heart of Darkness. Earth Island Journal.
- Joensen, Jóan Pauli. 2009. Pilot Whaling in the Faroe Islands: History, Ethnography, Symbol. Tórshavn: Fróðskapur / Faroe University Press, p. 14.