Poll: Strong Danish support for Constitution

With only 17% against and 54% supporting the EU
Constitution the coast looks clear for the upcoming Danish
referendum. A new broad agreement in parliament has secured
backing from all major parties.

A more pragmatic view of the EU seems to be taking
hold in Denmark. At the recent European Parliament
elections, the eurosceptic party, Juni-bevægelsen
[June movement], led by veteran MEP Mr Jens Peter Bonde,
lost two out of three seats. Now a new poll
indicates stronger than expected backing for the
European Constitution, which will be subject to a
referendum in Denmark. The poll conducted by Catinét
Research shows that more than half  the population,
54 %, would vote ‘yes’ in the referendum with a
‘no’ vote of 17.4 %, and  28.6 %
undecided. 

The poll comes with all the main political
parties having just put the finishing touches to a ground
breaking agreement that stipulates the guiding principles
of future Danish EU policy. Among them is backing
for the Constitution.

Most importantly, the traditionally reluctant
Socialist Left Party are part of the agreement along with
four other parties, ranging from the Conservatives and
the Liberal party of the ruling government coalition, the
radical centre party plus the Social
Democrats.

The four-page agreement, which bears the title
“Denmark in the enlarged EU”, has already been
dubbed ‘The second national compromise’. The
first one was the agreement that created the Danish
opt-outs from the Maastricht Treaty in the wake of
Denmark’s ‘no’ vote in the 1992
referendum. This first compromise also had the backing of
the Socialist Left Party, which helped to ensure a narrow
victory for the ‘yes’ camp in the second Danish
Maastricht referendum in 1993. This paved the way for the
EU’s ratification of the treaty, and also the
tradition of the EU not taking no for an answer, most
recently seen with the Irish referenda on the Nice Treaty
in 2001 and 2002.      

Tough criticism of the new Danish agreement has come
from the far right Peoples Party and the
Juni-bevægelsen. Furthermore, the Socialist Left
Party is split on the issue. An internal party showdown
is expected in December.

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