Funding for political parties in Faroe Islands set for public recognition after 35 years

The funding designated for political parties and candidates in the Folketing, Denmark’s Parliament, is now set to be publicly recognized in the Faroe Islands, despite previously not being implemented there since its introduction in 1987.

A legal proposal concerning state funding for political groups was put forward in the Faroese parliament, the Løgting, yesterday. Although the law has been in effect in Denmark, it has not been officially adopted in the Faroe Islands until now.

The law has been utilized in the Faroe Islands until the last parliamentary elections in autumn 2022, where parties receiving at least 1,000 votes were eligible for funding. However, significant changes are on the horizon.

In the future, the funding will only be applicable for political activities within the Faroe Islands, diverging from the past practice where it could be used throughout all realms of the Danish Kingdom. There will also be penalties for providing false statements regarding anticipated and actual expenses related to political activities—a provision previously absent in the Faroe Islands.

Nonetheless, any changes to this funding structure will only occur if the Faroe Islands express their desire to do so. The government has proposed lowering the threshold for funding from 1,000 votes, while the ruling party insists that this limit should remain the same for both the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

The proposal has aired for commentary among all political parties in the Faroe Islands, the Tax Authority, and the National Audit Office, but no responses have been received.