The Danes began voting this Wednesday in a referendum that will determine whether the country enters the defense policy of the European Unionafter having remained on the sidelines for 30 years, a new consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Yes is the favorite among the 4.3 million Danes called to the polls after exceeding 65% of voting intentions in the latest poll published on Sunday.
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What will they decide?
Denmark, a member of the European Union since 1973, was one of the first Eurosceptic countries to reject the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 by 50.7% of the vote.
To overcome the blockade, which threatened the entry into force of the founding treaty throughout the EU, the country obtained several exceptions, known as “opt outs” in European jargon, and finally said yes in a new vote the following year.
The new consultation included exceptions in four areas: monetary and economic union, defense, police and legal cooperation and citizenship, although the latter is considered inconsequential after the Amsterdam treaty.
The exception in defense means that Denmark cannot participate in military missions of the EU – but civil – neither in discussions nor negotiations related to that area, and it prevents him from belonging to the European Defense Agency and the Permanent Structured Cooperation (CEP).
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But its status as a member of NATO has reduced the real impact, since Denmark has also participated in military missions of the EU but under the flag of the Alliance, the UN or subordinated to other countries.
The referendum was the result of a defense agreement between five political forces that represent almost three-quarters of the total in Parliament and are in favor of eliminating the exception in that area, which is opposed by the forces further to the right and to the left. of the camera.
Today’s is the ninth Europe-related consultation to be held in Denmark and the third time that one of the exceptions has been put to a popular vote: On the two previous occasions, in 2000 on the euro and in 2015 on legal policy, those in favor of maintaining the model won.
A high rate of abstention is expected, in a country accustomed to saying “nej” (no) to referendums on Europe, the last one in 2015.
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Voting
The polling stations opened at 08:00 (06:00 GMT) and will close at 20:00 (18:00 GMT) and the results are expected overnight.
At the Copenhagen City Hall, the first Danes started voting early in the morning.
“History is changing and it affects us here in Denmark, and of course we have to react to it,” said Mads Adam, a 24-year-old political science student.
When we have to fight for the security of Europe, we have to be more united with our neighbors
“I think today this kind of voting is even more important. In times of war, it’s obviously important to say whether you want to join this kind of community or not,” says Molly Stensgaard, a 55-year-old screenwriter.
The Danish Prime Minister, the Social Democrat Mette Frederiksen, has directly appealed to the war in Ukraine as a direct causein addition to insisting on the need to strengthen European cooperation and assume “greater responsibility” for its own security, although it has also admitted the symbolic nature of the issue.
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“I believe with all my heart that we should vote yes. When we have to fight for the security of Europe, we have to be more united with our neighbors,” Frederiksen said in a final television debate on Sunday.
NATO and EU
Two weeks after the invasion of Ukraine, the Danish Prime Minister announced an agreement with the majority of the parties in Parliament to put the end of the exception to a referendum, as well as significant military investments to exceed the threshold of 2% of GDP requested by the NATO.
Eleven parties out of 14 asked for yes, which represents more than three quarters of the seats in Parliament.
The two far-right Eurosceptic formations, the Danish People’s Party (DF) and the New Conservatives, as well as the radical left Unity List, are campaigning for no.
With the historic candidacy of Sweden and Finland to the Atlantic alliance and the Danish referendum, the three Nordic countries could soon combine their participation in European defense and NATO.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING*
*With information from EFE and AFP
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