It was also decided to increase the defense budget to 2% of GDP by the end of 2033, and a one-off allocation of DKK 7 billion over the next two years split between defence, diplomacy and efforts humanitarians.

In addition to Denmark which is working to become independent of Russian gas.

This became clear during a press conference on Sunday evening. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of the Social Democrats and party leaders from the Liberal Party, Socialist People’s Party, Radicals and Conservatives attended.

Reservations

So far, Denmark has expressed reservations regarding trade union membership. This means that Denmark does not participate in the aspects of the EU’s foreign and security policy which relate to the field of defence.

– The crisis in Ukraine has shown us how strong we are when we stand together on the continent. We are bound by a common history, common challenges and common values, says the Prime Minister.

She also thanked the other party leaders for shouldering their responsibilities and contributing to a common decision in the field of security. The five parties jointly recommend that Danish citizens vote to remove the reservation.

– We want Denmark to participate fully in European cooperation, says Frederiksen.

PESCO

The referendum is part of the national compromise on Danish security policy. After the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the Folketing parties began to explore the possibilities of strengthening Danish defense and security.

In 2017, a year after the Brexit vote, the PESCO cooperation agreement was adopted. The general objective of the cooperation is to intensify the development of common defense capabilities and to strengthen the EU’s ability to participate in combat operations.

In total, 25 of the 27 EU Member States participate in the cooperation. Denmark and Malta are excluded.

In 2021, Norway, Canada and the United States were given the green light to join the agreement.

Denmark has four reservations related to its EU membership. In addition to the reservation on military participation, there are also reservations on the euro, judicial cooperation and citizenship of the Union.

(© NTB)