Denmark fears not only Trump's ambitions over Greenland: the independence movement resurges in the Faroe Islands.

In Tórshavn, election posters crowd the narrow streets as residents face a double vote: the Danish legislative elections on Tuesday and, on Thursday, elections for their own Parliament.

“The election posters overlap these days in the tidy, narrow streets of Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands”

El País

The Faroe Islands are a group of 18 volcanic-origin islands with about 55,000 people, part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but they have gained attention for renewed independence sentiment.

El País

Last year five of the six parties in the Logting signed an agreement to push autodetermination, with a plan on paper for a three-state solution in which Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands would be equal partners.

Johan Dahl of the Union Party, the only faction strongly opposing secession, says that full independence would leave the archipelago unprotected and would not be easy to maintain their quality of life.

Economically, the Faroe Islands are thriving and less dependent on Danish subsidies, supported by a top-tier fishing sector that catches more tonnes than France and nearly as much as Spain each year.

GDP per capita exceeds Denmark's, and unemployment is around 1%.

El País

The archipelago’s infrastructure includes submarine tunnels and a sea-floor roundabout.

In 1946 a referendum backed secession by a narrow margin, but the Self-Government Act of 1948 granted broad powers, with further expansions in 2005.

Defense and much of foreign policy remain with Copenhagen.

The islands are NATO members but not EU; when Denmark joined the European Community in 1973, the Faroe Islands stayed out to safeguard fishing interests.

In December, the Faroese Parliament legalized free abortion up to 12 weeks, ending one of Europe’s most restrictive legislations.

Danish subsidies amount to about 60% of Greenland's budget and around 10% of the Faroese, reflecting different economic ties within the kingdom.

Some scholars emphasize a desire for a stronger international presence while keeping ties to Denmark, even as debates over autonomy intensify.

Geopolitically, the issue intersects with Russia and NATO.

“The election posters overlap these days in the tidy, narrow streets of Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands”

El País

The government postponed talks with Copenhagen after Donald Trump's threats to annex Greenland to the United States, delaying further autonomy discussions.

The Faroese authorities extended a controversial fishing agreement with Russia for quota exchanges, a pact in force since 1977 and renewed annually, while the EU had banned Faroese fish and barred port access in earlier years.

Some Faroese, including security experts, argue that maintaining the fishing deal with Russia is essential to prevent unregulated fishing and preserve economic interests, while others, such as Atli Gregersen, a founder of Hiddenfjord, have ended sales to Russia.

Moscow's interest extends beyond fish: the archipelago lies in the GIUK gap, a vital NATO sea corridor, and naval traffic has increased, with occasional U.S. nuclear-powered submarines surfacing off Tórshavn.

Nationalists see Greenland's crisis as an opportunity, and Magni Arge, a former deputy in the Danish Parliament, says independence is a matter of time, asserting that greater international freedom would require formal secession.