Jóannes Eidesgaard

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Jóannes Eidesgaard

Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 February 2004
Preceded by	Anfinn Kallsberg
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	19 April 1951 Tvøroyri, Suðuroy
Political party	Føroya Javnaðarflokkurin
Spouse	Anita Joenssen

Jóannes Dan Eidesgaard (born April 19, 1951), is the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands. He has held the position since 3 February 2004, shortly after his political party, Føroya Javnaðarflokkurin, became the leading party of the new coalition government which was formed after parliamentary elections.

[edit] Life and Political Career

Jóannes Eidesgaard was born on 19 April 1951, in Tvøroyri on the island of Suðuroy, where he later became a senior-school teacher.

Eidesgaard was first elected to the Løgting, the Faroese parliament, in 1990. Between 1991 to 1996 he was a Minister under different coalition governments, and from 1994 to 1996 he became Deputy Prime Minister. In 1996 Eidesgaard became Party Chairman of the Føroya Javnaðarflokkurin.

In 1998, up until 2001, Eidesgaard was one of the two Faroese delegates in the Danish parliament, the Folketing.

On 3 February 2004 Jóannes Eidesgaard was elected Prime Minister and is now head of the government (Løgmaður) in the Faroe Islands. The Føroya Javnaðarflokkurin achieved altogether, in the 2004 election, 7 of the 32 Løgting seats.