Denmark Approves Accession to EU Defense Policy

MAY 31 2022·Updated DEC 29 2022

Story

Image credit: The Copenhagen Post

The Facts

In a referendum held in Denmark on Wed., Danes backed an end to a 30-year-old "opt-out" from the EU's shared defense policy.
The Washington Post
It was favored in all 92 Danish voting districts, receiving 66.9% of the votes across the country - a record figure for an EU referendum in Denmark.
The Post
This comes as European countries look to deepen defense ties in reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including Finland and Sweden applying to join NATO in a historic shift of their policies.
Al Jazeera
Denmark is currently the only member of the EU that isn't part of its Common Security and Defense Policy after a 1993 referendum on the Maastricht Treaty granted exemptions to that policy.
CNN
Following the result of the referendum, Denmark is set to join the European defense cooperation by Jul.1.
The Post
This will allow the Scandinavian country to take part in joint EU military operations, and Danish officials to debate defense issues with their counterparts.
NPR

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The Spin

Establishment-critical narrative

Danes are understandably Euroskeptic. As a consequence of this approval, Denmark might be entering into a slippery slope with a potential loss of sovereignty, as EU security plans are still unclear and include the possibility of a European army parallel to NATO.

Politico

Pro-establishment narrative

Scrapping the defense waiver is the right choice for Denmark. Europe must be united and prepared to defend itself from authoritarian threats. While NATO is crucial to Europe's security, European countries must be able to provide quick responses in areas of their interest to protect democracy and freedom.

The Parliament Magazine