Atli Dam

Who was Atli Dam?

Atli Pætursson Dam was Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands on five separate occasions, which is the longest period for any Faroese prime minister. He was prime minister in the periods: 1970–1981, 1985–1989 and 1991–1993.

He was born in Tvøroyri in 1932 as the son of Peter Mohr Dam and Sigrid Ragnhild, née Strøm. He was educated engineer in 1964 and worked for the Danish company Haldor Topsøe until he became prime minister in 1970. He was vise president of the Faroese Mortgage Institution from 1981–1985 and again from 1989 until his death.

He was elected to the Løgting in 1970, he was appointed Minister of Fisheries the same year, and in December of the same year he was appointed prime minister.

He was elected as one of two Faroese members of the Danish Folketing and was a member of the Folketing from 1987 to 1988 and 1990 to 1994.

Because of the financial crises of the Faroe Islands and because of health issues, Dam resigned as prime minister on 18 February 1993 and Marita Petersen took over. At the same time he left the post as chairman for the Socialist Democratic Party, Marita Petersen took over. Atli Dam had been prime minister for 16 years and member og the Løgting for 21 years at that time.