Location of Denmark in the European Union

Danish withdrawal from the European Union (colloquially Dexit[1][2] or Danexit,[3][4] a portmanteau of "Danish" and "exit") is the hypothesis that Denmark might leave the European Union (EU). Leaving the EU is officially supported by just two of the political parties represented in the Danish Parliament,[5][6] with less than 8% of the total seats.

Background

Further information: Brexit

In June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU. Eurosceptics elsewhere in the EU were encouraged by this decision, although its consequences had yet to emerge.

At the moment we are awaiting the results of the UK negotiations with the EU, on what kind of relationship Great Britain will enter into with the EU. I am pretty sure that the result will be such that it could be interesting to have the Danish voters to vote on it as well.[7]

— Kenneth Kristensen Berth, Danish politician, August 2016.

In 2016, Kristian Thulesen Dahl, then leader of the Danish People's Party (DPP), said that he wanted a referendum on whether Denmark should leave the EU.[8][9]

In 2020, Morten Messerschmidt, leader of the DPP since 2022, said that his country might leave the European Union within the next few years due to what he believed would be "the success of Brexit".[10]

Political positions

As of 2023, membership of the European Union has broad support across the Danish political spectrum, including from the governing Social Democratic Party[11] and the main opposition Venstre.[12] The right-wing parties Danish People's Party and the New Right party support leaving the EU.[5][13] Together, the two parties hold 10 of the 179 seats in the Danish parliament (as of July 2023).[14]

Although historically eurosceptic, the left-wing Unity List dropped its policy of supporting a membership referendum in 2019 as a result of the troubled Brexit negotiations.[15] It now advocates for reform of EU policies.[16] In 2022 it removed the wish to leave the EU from its manifesto, instead describing a "perspective" to leave the EU.[17] This was not without controversy within the party.[18][19]

The classical liberal and libertarian Liberal Alliance tends to favour radically reforming and rolling back powers of the EU to protect Danish sovereignty, but individual politicians within the party and its youth branch at times but not any more endorse a complete withdrawal with some arguing that Denmark should leave the EU while maintaining single-market access.[20][21][22]

History

Denmark has been a member of the EU since 1973 and a majority support continued Danish membership of the EU.[7] Greenland, after establishing home rule in 1979, voted to leave the European Communities in 1982 while remaining a country of the Kingdom of Denmark. Denmark has twice voted against closer union: in 1992, the Danes voted against ratification of the Treaty of Maastricht,[23] but approved it after the Danish Government renegotiated its terms to secure Danish opt-outs from some of its provisions;[8] in 2000 in another referendum,[8] Denmark decided by a small majority not to join the euro, but Danmarks Nationalbank continued its policy of maintaining a fixed exchange rate between the Danish krone and the euro.[24]

Public opinion

Dates conducted Polling by Remain Leave Undecided or don't know Lead
March 2023 YouGov/Eurotrack[25] 68% Total 'Remain' 16% Total 'Leave' 16% Don't know/Refused 52%
February 2021 YouGov/Eurotrack[26] 62% Total 'Remain' 23% Total 'Leave' 12% Don't know 39%
April 2020 Sentio[27] 39% EU member 39% Nordic cooperation 22% Don't know 0%
1 February 2020 The United Kingdom left the European Union.
November 2019 Eurobarometer[28] 63% Tend to trust 26% Tend not to trust 11% Don't know what to do 37%
April 2019 Sentio[29] 41% EU membership 43% Nordic cooperation 2%
November 2018 Eurobarometer[30] 60% Tend to trust 31% Tend not to trust 9% Don't know what to do 29%
November 2017 Eurobarometer[31] 52% Tend to trust 37% Tend not to trust 11% Don't know what to do 15%
November 2016 Eurobarometer[32] 57% Total 'Optimistic' 39% Total 'Pessimistic' 4% Don't know 18%
23 June 2016 The United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union.
11-12 April 2016 Analyseenheden 4V[33] 30% Stay in the EU 27% Follow Britain out of the EU 34% Wait and see, and decide later
9% Don't know 		4%
November 2015 Eurobarometer[34] 65% Total 'Optimistic' 30% Total 'Pessimistic' 5% Don't know 35%
November 2014 Eurobarometer[35] 73% Total 'Optimistic' 25% Total 'Pessimistic' 2% Don't know 48%
November 2013 Eurobarometer[36] 75% Total 'Optimistic' 22% Total 'Pessimistic' 3% Don't know 53%

See also

References

  1. ^ Eriksen, Julie (23 June 2020). "Den våde drøm om Dexit bliver et mareridt: "Det er på tide, at vi danskere anerkender nogle fundamentale sandheder om vores lille, hyggelige land"". Politiken (in Danish). Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  2. ^ "JV mener: Tak for klar DF-udmelding". JydskeVestkysten (in Danish). 7 June 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Danexit könnte dem Brexit folgen". Mein Geld (in German). 13 June 2016.
  4. ^ "Danish media: Brexit won't lead to Danexit". uniavisen.dk. 23 June 2016.
  5. ^ a b "EU-politik DF - Mere Danmark - mindre EU - Begrænset EU-samarbejde". 17 September 2023.
  6. ^ "EU-politik". Nye Borgerlige. Archived from the original on 2020-02-08. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  7. ^ a b Miriam Arndts (1 August 2016). "Wie wahrscheinlich ist ein dänisches EU-Referendum?" [How likely is a Danish EU referendum?]. Deutschlandfunk (in German).
  8. ^ a b c Bodo Hering (25 June 2016). "Brexit: Sind Holland und Dänemark die nächsten?". Berlin Journal (in German).
  9. ^ "Thulesen Dahl nåede 27 år i DF – det slutter, hvor det startede". TV 2 Nyheder (in Danish). 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  10. ^ Andreas Karker (12 January 2020). "B.T. Morten Messerschmidt: Vi er meldt ud af EU inden 2030" (in Danish)..
  11. ^ "Foreign Policy and the EU". www.socialdemokratiet.dk.
  12. ^ "EU-politik - Hvad er EU politik i Venstre?". Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti.
  13. ^ Schulz, Rasmus Bragh (12 May 2022). "»Pernille Vermund vil ikke ud af EU,« sagde værten, og Vermund bekræftede. Men det var en fejl". Berlingske.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Mandatfordelingen". ft.dk. 25 November 2016.
  15. ^ "'Vi ønsker ikke at kopiere kaos': Brexit har skræmt danske EU-skeptikere - men ikke alle". DR. May 23, 2019.
  16. ^ "Det mener vi om EU". Enhedslisten.EU.
  17. ^ "Enhedslisten gør op med årtiers EU-politik: Dansk EU-exit er ikke længere et mål i sig selv". DR (in Danish). 2022-05-14. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  18. ^ "Enhedslisten parkerer ambitionen om et dansk farvel til EU: Udmeldelse er ikke et mål i sig selv". Altinget.dk (in Danish). 14 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  19. ^ "Mai Villadsen efter opblødning af Enhedslistens EU-politik: "Det er et markant skridt, men også et godt kompromis"". Altinget.dk (in Danish). 14 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  20. ^ "EU policy- A leaner EU". Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  21. ^ "Political majority agree to euro pact". The Copenhagen Post. 24 March 2011. Archived from the original on 26 March 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-18.
  22. ^ "EU". Liberal Alliances Ungdom. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  23. ^ Helmut Steuer; Martina Meister; Boris Kálnoky; Jörg Winterbauer; Hans-Jörg Schmidt; Sarah Maria Brech (25 June 2016). "Diese Länder könnten die nächsten Exit-Kandidaten sein". Die Welt (in German).
  24. ^ "DENMARK'S FIXED EXCHANGE RATE POLICY". Danmarks Nationalbank. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  25. ^ "YouGov / Eurotrack Survey Results March 2023" (PDF). YouGov/Eurotrack. March 2023.
  26. ^ "YouGov / Eurotrack Survey Results February 2021" (PDF). YouGov/Eurotrack. February 2021.
  27. ^ People's Movement against the EU: A representative poll shows Danes divided in the question of EU membership, People's Movement against the EU, 8 April 2020 (in Danish)
    The poll question was: If a Nordic cooperation could be established, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden with common policies within a great number of issues, e.g. environment, judicial and foreign policy, as well as trade agreements with the EU and other countries – and you had the choice between Denmark participating in the Nordic cooperation or be a member of the EU. Then what would you vote for?
  28. ^ "Eurobarometer 2019" (PDF). European Commission.
  29. ^ Most Danes want Nordic cooperation before EU membership Archived 2021-04-13 at the Wayback Machine, Arbejderen, 26 April 2019 (in Danish)
  30. ^ "Eurobarometer 2018". European Commission.
  31. ^ "Eurobarometer 2017". European Commission.
  32. ^ "Eurobarometer 2016". European Commission.
  33. ^ a4v (12 April 2016). Danexit after Brexit? Summary Archived 2020-01-13 at the Wayback Machine
  34. ^ "Eurobarometer 2015". European Commission.
  35. ^ "Eurobarometer 2014". European Commission.
  36. ^ "Eurobarometer 2013". European Commission.
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