Danish voters give strong ‘yes’ to joining EU defense policy

By JAN M. OLSEN
Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — With nearly all referendum votes counted, Denmark is headed toward joining the European Union’s common defense policy that it long eschewed, in a new example of a European country seeking closer defense links with allies after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said late Wednesday that “an overwhelming majority of Danes have chosen to abolish the defense opt-out. I’m very, very happy about that.” The electoral commission said that with ballots fully counted in 84 of 92 electoral districts, two-thirds voted in favor of abandoning the country’s 30-year opt-out from the common EU policy. The referendum follows historic bids by fellow Nordic countries Sweden and Finland to join NATO.