The Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands

Born 28 August 1964
Married to Jórun Johannesen, née Bærentsen; three sons.

Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen was elected Prime Minister on the 26th of September 2008. In addition to leading the Cabinet of Government Ministers the Prime Minister’s responsibilities include constitutional matters and foreign affairs.

Mr Johannesen graduated as Shipmaster from Føroya Sjómansskúli (Centre of Maritime Studies) in 1986 and the following year he sailed as an officer with Maersk Line.

In 1989 he was employed by Faroe Seafood and from 1995 to 1997 he was sales manager at Kósin Seafood. From 1997 to 2008 he was a salesman in the fish exports company Farex, co-owned by him.

Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen has been active in sports for many years. He played for the football club HB Tórshavn for almost two decades as a goalkeeper and has represented the Faroese national team.

Mr Johannesen became a member of the Faroese Unionist Party (Sambandsflokkurin) in 1988. He had a supplementary seat in the Faroese national parliament (Løgtingið) for a period in 1996. He was a member of the Tórshavn City Council from 1996 to 2000, and was elected to the parliament for the first time in 2002 and has been re-elected at subsequent elections.

Since 2004 Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen has been the leader of the Unionist Party. In the period 2003-2004 he was deputy chairman of the Government Committee of the Faroese Parliament and a member of the Trade and Industry Committee. From 2004 to 2008 he was chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and a member of the Finance Committee.