Referendums in Denmark

Referendums are a relatively frequently used instrument in Danish politics. While mostly known for EU-related referenda, there have been a range of national and subnational referendums held in Denmark. This chapter first presents the formal rules for referendums, including how they can be convened and who can participate. Given that almost all academic research on Danish referendums has focused on EU referendums, and that referenda are still a very active part of Danish EU politics, the rest of the chapter focuses on EU-related referendums: why they have been convened, the effects of campaigns, how voters behave, and the effects of referendum outcomes in terms of leading Denmark to opt-out of key areas of EU cooperation, and finally, the impact that the large percentage of no votes in the 1972 Accession Referendum had on the form of association between Denmark and Greenland,1 and the resulting exit of Greenland from the EU after a no-vote in a referendum in 1982.