Denmark recently voted in a referendum that ended a long standing exception shaping its role within the European Union for three decades. The focus of the ballot was a defense policy element of the EU, a topic that has sparked ongoing debate among Danes and drawn intense interest across the Union. Public television DR released exit poll results indicating a clear preference for abolishing the exception.
DR’s initial estimates showed about 69.1 percent voting in favor of ending the exception, with roughly 30.9 percent supporting its retention. A parallel tally from the semi-public channel TV2 pointed to a somewhat narrower gap, suggesting the difference in support hovered around 30 percentage points. The figures reflect a nationwide discussion about how Denmark should align with EU defense structures in the years ahead.
Reaction to the war in Ukraine
The referendum was convened by a Social Democratic government at the beginning of March in response to Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine. It followed talks with four other parties that together hold a substantial majority in Parliament, highlighting broad though not unanimous consensus on Denmark’s approach to EU defense matters.
From the start, polls signaled a strong majority in favor of ending the exception, though the level of undecided voters in certain surveys—at times reaching as high as one in five voters—added an element of uncertainty to the outcome.
Historically, Denmark rejected the Maastricht Treaty in a 1992 vote but later ratified it in a revised referendum that introduced a series of exceptions. Those exemptions covered four areas: monetary and economic union, defense, police and judicial cooperation, and citizenship. The Amsterdam Treaty later deemphasized the citizenship exception, though some analysts still view it as comparatively less consequential.
The specific exception under discussion would have kept Denmark out of a direct role in EU military missions. It would have limited participation in joint defense operations and slowed deeper integration with Europe’s defense framework. The move also affects Denmark’s eligibility for membership in the European Defense Agency and for participation in the Permanent Structured Cooperation, commonly known as PESCO, within the EU defense system.
NATO member
Even with the treaty-level exception, Denmark’s NATO membership continues to shape its defense posture. The country also contributes to EU military missions, albeit within a framework that sometimes aligns with United Nations mandates or broader allied arrangements rather than a fully centralized EU military command structure.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, leading a Social Democratic government, has pointed to the Ukraine crisis as a catalyst for closer European cooperation. In the last campaign, the prime minister emphasized a greater responsibility for Denmark’s own security and stressed the need for closer ties with European partners, while acknowledging the symbolic nature of the debate about a possible European army.
Critics on both the far right and far left argued that altering the current model could threaten national sovereignty or invite Brussels oversight that Danes may not be ready to accept. They warned that a hypothetical European defense force might someday overshadow national decision-making in key security matters.
This referendum marks the ninth European issue put to a public vote in Denmark and, for the third time, one of the exceptions has been decided by popular ballot. In prior referendums, questions about the euro and certain areas of legal policy drew strong support for or against the model in place, underscoring how Denmark negotiates its role within the European project while maintaining a distinct national stance.
The result sets the stage for a recalibrated relationship with EU defense mechanisms and raises questions about how Denmark will engage in future security operations. Observers note that this decision does not necessarily signify a withdrawal from EU defense cooperation but rather a strategic reorganization of how and where Denmark participates within that framework.