COPENHAGEN
\nHistorically skeptical about European Union efforts to deepen cooperation, Danish voters on Wednesday will choose whether to abandon the country\u2019s decision three decades ago to opt out of the bloc\u2019s common defense policy.
\nThe Danish referendum comes as the latest example of European countries seeking closer defense links with allies in response to Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine. It follows Sweden and Finland\u2019s historic bids to join NATO \u2014 something to be taken up at a summit next month.
\nDenmark joining the EU defense policy would have a relatively modest impact on Europe\u2019s security architecture, particularly compared to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. But Christine Nissen, a researcher with the Danish Institute for International Studies, said both moves are \u201cpart of the same story,\u201d and would strengthen military cooperation on a continent stunned by the war in Ukraine.
\nShe said the main effect of abandoning the opt-out decision would be that Danish officials could stay in the room when EU colleagues discuss defense topics and Danish forces could take part in the bloc\u2019s military operations.
\nDenmark, a founding member of NATO, has stayed on the sidelines of EU efforts to build a common security and defense policy in parallel with the trans-Atlantic alliance. It was one of four opt-out moves that Danes insisted on before adopting the EU\u2019s Maastricht Treaty, which laid the foundation for political and economic union.
\nThe 1992 waiver means Denmark hasn\u2019t participated in the EU\u2019s discussions on defense policy, its development and acquisition of military capabilities and its joint military operations, such as those in Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
\nThe Danes also opted out of EU cooperation on justice and home affairs, the common currency and citizenship. The opt-out decision on citizenship, which said European citizenship wouldn\u2019t replace national citizenship, has since become irrelevant as other members later adopted the same position. But the other provisions remain intact despite efforts by successive governments to overturn them.
\nIn a 2000 referendum, Danish voters decided to stay outside the eurozone, and 15 years later they voted to keep the exemption on justice and home affairs.
\nThis time, however, Danes appear ready to say goodbye to opting out of common defense.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
COPENHAGEN Historically skeptical about European Union efforts to deepen cooperation, Danish voters on Wednesday will choose whether to abandon the country\u2019s decision three decades ago to opt out of the bloc\u2019s common defense policy. The Danish referendum comes as the latest example of European countries seeking closer defense links with allies in response to Russia\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":263725,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7951,1019,3501,543],"class_list":{"0":"post-263705","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-defense","9":"tag-denmark","10":"tag-european-union","11":"tag-referendum"},"yoast_head":"\n