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1972 Danish European Communities membership referendum

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1972 Danish European Communities membership referendum

2 October 1972

Should Denmark join the European Economic Community?
Results
Choice
Votes %
Yes 1,958,043 63.29%
No 1,135,755 36.71%
Valid votes 3,093,798 99.38%
Invalid or blank votes 19,323 0.62%
Total votes 3,113,121 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 3,453,763 90.14%

Results by nomination district and constituency
Yes:      50–55%      55–60%      60–65%      65–70%      70%+
No:      50–55%      55–60%      60–65%      65–70%      70%+

A referendum on joining the European Economic Community was held in Denmark on 2 October 1972.[1] The result was 63.3% in favour with a turnout of 90.1%.[2] The law that Denmark should be member of the EEC was passed on 11 October 1972, and Denmark became a member on 1 January 1973.[3]

Background

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According to Article 20, section 2 of the Danish constitution, any law that makes limitations to the sovereignty of the Danish state (as membership of the EEC would) must be passed in the Danish parliament with 5/6 of the parliament's members voting for the law.[4] If a majority of members vote for the law, but not by 5/6 majority, and the government wishes to uphold the suggested law, the law can still be passed in a public referendum, as was the case in the 1972 referendum.[4]

According to a 2022 study, municipalities that experienced more German-inflicted violence during the German occupation of Denmark in WWII were more likely to vote against joining the EEC.[5]

Results

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Choice Votes %
For 1,958,043 63.3
Against 1,135,755 36.7
Invalid/blank votes 19,323
Total 3,113,121 100
Registered voters/turnout 3,453,763 90.1
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References

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  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p524 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p534
  3. ^ Danmarkshistorien: Ja til EF 1972 Archived 2007-06-10 at the Wayback Machine Ministry of Education of Denmark (in Danish)
  4. ^ a b English version of the Danish constitution Archived February 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Aaskoven, Lasse (2022). "Foreign Occupation and Support for International Cooperation: Evidence from Denmark". World Politics. 74 (2): 285–325. doi:10.1017/S004388712200003X. ISSN 0043-8871. S2CID 248267466.