On June 1, Denmark will hold a referendum on the abolition of the defense opt-out, which is one of the country’s opt-outs from the European Union. Currently, Denmark is the only EU country with such an opt-out option. EU militarization has increased tremendously – European arms are sold all over the world with very few restrictions. Arms trade is a threat to peace, security and development, and the arms industry is a driving force behind increasing military exports and expenditure.
Listen to a message from Lave K. Broche (Board member of the Danish People’s Movement against the EU, active in the Danish UN Association and member of Danish social liberal party) on our Youtube channel:
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From his perspective, three points are crucial:
1. Denmark is already a NATO member and does not face an immediate threat due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, the pro-EU side uses the fear and the ongoing war in Ukraine to promote the opt-out.
2. Danish visions for peace negotiations – if Denmark keeps the power over their defense and security policy and votes no, the country will have more possibilities to be a negotiator for peace.
3. Denmark should support international law, an area that is deeply rooted in society – this means no wars or out of area operations without an UN mandate.
If you are interested in this topic and convinced that Denmark should say no to EU militarization on June 1 , please use your voice and support the Danish population on making their decision! Here is a link to their support page: https://www.folkebevaegelsen.dk/support-us/
Would like to read more? Here is an article about Thales that sold weapons to Russia and that gets money from the EU: https://stopwapenhandel.org/killed-by-thales-military-technology-in-bucha/
or an article by Lave K. Broch about the legal aspects: https://thepeoplesnews.home.blog/2022/05/20/the-danish-referendum-is-about-sovereignty-in-defense-policy-vote-no/
To learn more about the EU militarization, please visit the European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT): http://enaat.org/