The economic, territorial, and cultural impact of the European Union on the Danish identity

Résumé du document

Created by the treaty of Rome in 1957, the European Union now has 25 member states. Over the years and decades, it has developed a wide range of policies with an emphasis on economic measures. The member states have had to adapt themselves to this new system of governance and to the presence of the Nordic countries such as Sweden, Denmark, and Finland in the Union.

After the Second World War, western Europe witnessed an unprecedented degree of institutionalization with the creation of the Council of Europe and NATO in 1949 and the EEC in 1957, thus gathering different groups of countries around different issues. Denmark was a founding member state of the two former institutions but did not integrate economically with the EEC till 1972 when it got a referendum with 63% in favor of integration.

Denmark adopted for almost a quarter of a century a unique position within the European Union because it was the only Nordic country to join the EEC in the 1970s.

In this essay, we are going to examine the economic, territorial, and cultural impact of the European Union on the Danish identity. In other words, we will look at the impact of the European Union upon the European Nordic pattern, through the example of Danish identity.

Our examination is built into three parts: the first is dedicated to the assessment of the main features of the Danish identity and culture; the second is about the stakes created by the European Union in Denmark; Ad the third part will point out the real consequences of the European integration upon Danish culture and especially her economy. Our overall argument, through this essay, is that the Nordic model, embodied here by Denmark, has been partially « resistant » to the pressures of the European Union.

Extraits

[...] The Nordic model is generally characterized by comprehensive protections against the range of socio-economic risks in capitalist societies and particular taking care of population at risk (the elderly, the disabled, the sick The income replacement rates social service, public health and active labour market program expenditures are higher than in other western countries. To put it in all, the social programmes and tax policies of the Nordic states have produced the most egalitarian income distributions among the advanced industrialized nations. This policy is politically supported by Nordic countries populations and economically by reasonably high levels of GDP per capita. Nordic countries have promoted gender equality. For instance, women in these countries, were among the first to receive the right to vote in the world and have became equal participants in national politics. [...]

[...] In first, the threat is political as increased political integration at the European level threatens sovereignty and the Danish state. With the protectory state gone, the defenceless Danish nation will be dissolved with ‘Europe' and the Danish nation-state will have been completely replaced-politically and culturally- by the European nation state. The European Union' democratic deficit is a particularly sharp issue in Denmark since the notion of the ‘People' builder of the nation remains essential. We can give an example to illustrate this idea. [...]

[...] The United Kingdom had also an impact upon Danish membership. Indeed, Denmark abstained from the European Union for as long as Britain because of the large Danish agricultural exports to Britain. EFTA (European Free Trade Association) became instead the Danish free market framework in 1959 and is also offered a strong Nordic dimension as both Norway and Sweden were founding members. The Danish debate in the 1960's was thus centred on how to tackle a potential choice between the British and the Nordic options; and on the economic benefits of an EEC membership if Britain did join versus the loss of political independence entailed by membership. [...]

[...] Denmark adopted for almost a quarter of a century a unique position within the European Union since it was the only Nordic countries to join the EEC in the 1970's. In this essay, we are going to examine the economic, territorial, cultural impact of the European Union on the Danish identity. In other words, we wonder what is the impact of the European Union upon the European Nordic pattern through the example of Danish identity. Our development is built into three parts: the first is dedicated to the assessment of the main features of the Danish identity and culture. [...]

[...] Denmark has had to adapt herself to the European Union integration in protecting her identity between her north axis and her continental links. The stakes have been numerous such as the preservation of the cultural popular basis for Danish politics and the power of ‘ordinary people' or again the defence of the welfare state against the European liberal mechanism. We can also note that traditionally, Denmark has pursued a strategy of keeping its international military (NATO), economic and cultural (Nordic) commitments separate. [...]