Denmark’s referendum on cancellation of the defense opt-out

Abstract

On June 1, 2022, a referendum was held in Denmark, according to which the country canceled its existing exceptions within the framework of the EU defense policy. Denmark will now be able to take part in all activities of the CSDP, including the projects of permanent structured cooperation (PESCO). The referendum results were affected by external factors, mainly the events in Ukraine. The author assesses the referendum results and consequences of abolition of exceptions in the field of defense for Denmark, the EU in general and the CSDP in particular.