EU Defence Policies Through the Lens of Danish TV Debates

Abstract

Denmark held the referendum on removing the country’s EU-defence opt-out on June 1, 2022. The referendum has resulted in extensive televised socio-political discussions not only about integration opt-outs, but also about the upcoming development of the EU CSDP and whether its foreseeable future suits Denmark’s interests. The article analyzes the two rounds of television debates on the abolition of the defense opt-out broadcast on the leading national TV channel ‘DR1’. The ratio of utilitarian and value arguments of supporters and opponents of the abolition of Danish exceptions in the field of EU defense integration was considered. The arguments provided by the participants of the debates were divided into several groups regarding ‘Danish security’, ‘Denmark's influence in the EU’, ‘defense spending’, ‘compatibility between EU and NATO’, ‘solidarity with allies’ and other aspects. Unique arguments and statements that were difficult to attribute to one group or another are also highlighted. The television debates mirror Denmark's dubious position towards the EU – on the one hand, the desire for a stronger and more independent role for the EU in world politics and the EU's more substantial contribution to the regional stability, and on the other hand, reluctance to deepen defense cooperation and limited resources, with the latter raising a question of priorities between NATO and EU defence initiatives. During the debates the advocates for Denmark’s deeper integration within the EU CSDP stressed their strict adherence to intergovernmental approach in the field of defence cooperation.