Danish resistance to continue?
T HE "no" vote in Denmark's first Maastricht referendum on 2 June 1992, sent tremendous shock waves through the country's establishment and that of Europe's as a whole too. After the vote however, the leftreformist Socialist People's Party (SF), which had been initially opposed to Maastricht, emerged as one of the architects of the so-called "National Compromise" which led to a "yes" vote in the second referendum on 18 May 1993. The National Compromise reflected a change in the SF's politics — a change which had been underway for some time -and this was highlighted in particular by the party leaderships hope that they would become part of a new Social Democratic led government. When the bourgeois government fell in January 1993 their hopes were dashed. The Social Democrat's leader, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, instead chose three minor bourgeois parties as his coalition partners. The SF was, once again, left in opposition.
• For the Red-Green Alliance however, the situation after the 18 May had actually improved. As a reaction to the SF's manoeuvres, opinion polls indicated that the Alliance had now passed the magic two percent limit required to win representation in the Danish parliament. Despite this, the Alliance is not running an independent list for the European elections. Instead it will run both its own campaign and propose support for two other anti-Maastricht "resistance" lists.
• The People's Movement Against the EEC, which currently has four European deputies, split following the 2 June 1992 referendum. Those that left formed the June Movement. From day-to-day, the difference between the two organisations is difficult to see, but while the People's Movement demands that Denmark should leave the EEC (and not just reject Maastricht), the June Movement is only opposed to Maastricht and not the EEC as a whole.
Members of the Red-Green Alliance will head the lists for the European elections of both organisations. Since both movements consist of bourgeois and left-wing forces there have been some strange positions taken. For example, the People's Movement will talk in one sentence about employers and employees negotiating with common interests, and in the next sentence declare how strong trade unions are required as the only protection against attacks on social rights.
• The Social Democrats are trying to put the welfare state at the forefront of their campaign, while at the same time attempting to ignore the content of the National Compromise - a "compromise" which the SF is still trying to maintain. Amongst the bourgeois parties the Liberal Party and the Centre Party will promote further Danish integration with the European Union and also membership of the West European Union - a question which will probably be at the top of the agenda of the governmental conference in 1996.
There is little doubt that the coming election will be seen in the light of June 1992 and May 1993. The Danish people will interpret the election as a "yes" or "no" to the European Union. In May 1993, forty-four percent still voted "no" to Maastricht. The results of these elections will indicate the extent to which Danish resistance to the European Union continues. Jan Jensen O
21
International Viewpoint #256 May 1994
- GERMANY -