Anfinn Kallsberg

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Anfinn Kallsberg

Anfinn Kallsberg (born November 19, 1947 in Klaksvík, Faroe Islands) is a Faroese politician - Prime Minister of his country 1998-2004 - and the leader of the Faroese People's Party (Fólkaflokkurin). First elected to the Faroese parliament in 1980 and consecutively since then, Kallsberg served as Fisheries Minister for 5 months in Jógvan Sundstein's first coalition government in 1989, and as Economics and Finance Minister from 1996 to 1998 in a coalition led by Edmund Joensen (Union Party).

Kallsberg became Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands on May 15, 1998 in a coalition formed by the People's Party (Faroe Islands), Republican Party (Faroe) and the Self-Government Party (Faroe). His first administration aimed for economic and legal independence of the Faroe Islands and started a process of assuming various governmental sectors from the Danish government. Likewise, Denmark set up a plan to grant full sovereignty to the Faroe Islands. In 2002 the coalition went through parliamentary elections that resulted in the entry of the Center Party into government.

In December 2003, Kallsberg took over the ministries previously served by members of the Republican Party and issued a new election that took place in January 2004. In 2005 Kallsberg was elected as one of two Faroese citizens to represent the Islands in the Danish Parliament.