Agreement among three government opposition parties puts pressure on PM to hold an EU referendum

Government opposition parties have agreed to push for a referendum to eliminate two of Denmark’s three remaining EU opt-outs stemming from the Maastricht Treaty, reports Berlingske Tidende newspaper.

Leaders from the Social Democrats, the Socialist People’s Party (SF) and the Social Liberals reached a consensus that the country’s EU exceptions in the areas of common defence and justice should be eliminated.

The agreement – along with a recent poll indicating that a clear majority of Danes favour abolishing the opt-outs – puts pressure on Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen to hold a national referendum on the issue.

Both Villy Søvndal and Helle Thorning-Schmidt, respective leaders of SF and the Social Democrats, pointed to 23 March as a suitable date for the national vote.

In June, Løkke Rasmussen said he wanted a referendum once Ireland gave its support to the Lisbon Treaty. But he later said he preferred holding off a vote on the exceptions until after the treaty’s full ratification.

Rasmussen also pointed to the lack of support for eliminating the other opt-out – Denmark’s refusal to accept the euro as its currency – as being a hindrance for a referendum. The prime minister has indicated he would rather have a vote to eliminate all three opt-outs at once.

SF and the Social Liberals are against eliminating the euro opt-out. However, Social Liberal leader Margrethe Vestager said there was no longer any excuse for waiting on a referendum on the defence and justice exceptions.

‘The prime minister has hidden behind the fact that the opposition was divided on the issues. But saying no to a referendum now would be like a hungry man saying no to a steak,’ said Vestager.

Thorning-Schmidt said Denmark’s asylum policies should not be included in any common EU justice initiatives.

In a Ritzau/Catinét survey earlier this month, 42.9 percent of those questioned said they would vote yes to eliminate the opt-outs, 32.6 percent said they would vote no, while 24.5 percent were undecided.