Denmark rejected EU on two occasions

Twice in the past decade, Denmark has adopted anti-EU stances in referendums aimed at speeding up the process of European integration. On each occasion, the result caused widespread dismay in Brussels, though neither Denmark nor the integration process seemed to suffer lasting damage.

There is one important difference between yesterday's Irish vote and the referendums in Denmark. Whereas the Nice Treaty campaign here was marked by apathy and a low voter turnout, the Danish referendums were debated passionately and turnouts reached 90 per cent. Even before it joined the EU in the 1970s, Denmark insisted that it retain the power to ban foreigners with less than five years' residency from purchasing summer houses, a move designed to prevent its holiday retreats being overrun by wealthy Germans.

In 1992, the Danes rejected the Maastricht Treaty by 50.7 per cent to 49.3 per cent. The outcome was marked by jubilant celebrations in Copenhagen and grim warnings elsewhere about its effect on integration.

After lengthy debate in Denmark and within the European Commission, the Danish government secured opt-outs on sensitive issues, including the single currency, joint defence policies, common policing and joint citizenship rules. Supported by almost the entire Danish political establishment, the treaty was approved in a second referendum in 1993, by 56.7 per cent to 44.3 per cent.

To the relief of EU leaders, the Danes backed the Amsterdam Treaty in 1998. The margin on that occasion was 55 per cent to 45 per cent.

However, anti-EU feeling resurfaced last year, as Danish voters decided to stay out of the euro by a margin of 53 per cent to 47 per cent.

The result has had little impact on the schedule for the introduction of the euro in other EU states next year.

Issues of national identity and sovereignty featured strongly in all Denmark's debates on European referendums.