COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish Overseas Minister Jeppe Kofod mentioned Thursday that he expects Denmark to affix the European Union’s frequent protection coverage after two-thirds of voters who solid ballots in a referendum supported abandoning a 30-year-old waiver that stored the EU nation out.
There are “a collection of formal steps earlier than Denmark could be admitted” to the protection settlement, Kofod mentioned, together with the Danish Parliament giving its approval of the referendum’s end result. The minister mentioned he expects Denmark to have the ability to be a part of as of July 1.
With 100% of the votes counted, 66.9% voted in favor of eliminating the opt-out whereas 33.1% had been in opposition to, based on figures from Statistics Denmark. Voter turnout was 65.76%.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen mentioned the outcomes had been “a transparent sign” to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The referendum adopted the choices of fellow Nordic international locations Sweden and Finland to hunt be a part of NATO membership.
For Denmark, a founding member of the 30-member protection alliance, becoming a member of the EU’s protection coverage could have a comparatively modest influence on Europe’s safety structure, significantly in comparison with the historic bids of Sweden and Finland.
However pundits have mentioned that each strikes mirrored the identical issues and would strengthen navy cooperation on a continent shocked by the conflict in Ukraine.
The principle impact of abandoning the opt-out might be that Danish officers may keep within the room when EU colleagues talk about protection subjects, and Danish forces can participate in EU navy operations, resembling these in Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Kofod known as the referendum “ and essential step.”
“Cohesion in Europe is the perfect reply we may give within the state of affairs we’re in,” he mentioned in a press release.
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