News

The ayes have it! Danes overwhelmingly vote to abolish the EU defence reservation

Denmark took a big step towards more EU defence co-operation in what turned out to be a landslide victory for those in favour

As EU referendum votes go, this one won’t go down in history as a nailbiter. 

Yesterday, an overwhelming majority of Danes voted to abolish the EU defence reservation and thereby pave the way for closer military co-operation with the EU in the future.

A formidable 66.9 percent of voters voted in favour – the highest share of ‘yes’ voters ever recorded in an EU referendum in Denmark. 

In fact, the ‘ayes’ had it sewed up in all 92 voting districts across the country. 

“Thank you! Thank you to everyone who voted today. We will cherish the ‘yes’ you have given us,” wrote PM Mette Frederiksen on Facebook.

READ ALSO: Danes warned about complacency in today’s EU reservation referendum

Low voter turnout
Looking at the numbers, the Gentofte and Rudersdal voting districts had the highest share of votes in favour with 80 percent, followed by Lyngby (78), Aarhus East and Falkoner (both 77). 

Fredensborg (76), Aarhus South (75), Copenhagen City Centre (75), Østerbro (74) and Egedal (74) completed the top ten.

Frederikshavn had the lowest share of ‘yes’ voters with 58 percent, preceded by Esbjerg City and Lolland (both 59), and Brøndby, Bispebjerg and Kalundborg (all 60).

The day also saw the second lowest voter turnout for an EU referendum in history at just 65.8 percent.

Only the referendum for the Patent Court in 2014, with 56 percent, has a lower turnout.

A number of European leaders voiced their pleasure with the result, as did the EU leadership.

“I welcome the strong message of commitment to our common security sent by the Danish people today,” EU Commision President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter. 

“Denmark’s expertise on defence is much valued. I am convinced that both Denmark and the EU will benefit from this decision. We are #StrongerTogether.”

Pending some formalities, it is expected that Denmark will officially enter the EU defence co-operation by July 1.

TOP STORIES

  • Chinese wind turbine companies sign pact to end race-to-the-bottom price war

    Chinese wind turbine companies sign pact to end race-to-the-bottom price war

    China’s 12 leading wind turbine makers have signed a pact to end a domestic price war that has seen turbines sold at below cost price in a race to corner the market and which has compromised quality and earnings in the sector.

  • Watch Novo Nordisk’s billion-kroner musical TV ad for Wegovy

    Watch Novo Nordisk’s billion-kroner musical TV ad for Wegovy

    Novo Nordisk’s TV commercial for the slimming drug Wegovy has been shown roughly 32,000 times and reached 8.8 billion US viewers since June.

  • Retention is the new attraction

    Retention is the new attraction

    Many people every year choose to move to Denmark and Denmark in turn spends a lot of money to attract and retain this international talent. Are they staying though? If they leave, do they go home or elsewhere? Looking at raw figures, we can see that Denmark is gradually becoming more international but not everyone is staying. 

  • Defence Minister: Great international interest in Danish military technology

    Defence Minister: Great international interest in Danish military technology

    Denmark’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen attended the Association of the Unites States Army’s annual expo in Washington DC from 14 to 16 October, together with some 20 Danish leading defence companies, where he says Danish drone technology attracted significant attention.

  • Doctors request opioids in smaller packs as over-prescription wakes abuse concerns

    Doctors request opioids in smaller packs as over-prescription wakes abuse concerns

    Doctors, pharmacies and politicians have voiced concern that the pharmaceutical industry’s inability to supply opioid prescriptions in smaller packets, and the resulting over-prescription of addictive morphine pills, could spur levels of opioid abuse in Denmark.

  • Housing in Copenhagen – it runs in the family

    Housing in Copenhagen – it runs in the family

    Residents of cooperative housing associations in Copenhagen and in Frederiksberg distribute vacant housing to their own family members to a large extent. More than one in six residents have either parents, siblings, adult children or other close family living in the same cooperative housing association.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs