As Awkward as They Need to Be: Denmark's Pragmatic Activist Approach to Europe

Anders Wivel

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-57562-9

As Awkward as They Need to Be: Denmark's Pragmatic Activist Approach to Europe

Centre for European Politics

Abstract

What characterizes Denmark's policy towards EU integration? This chapter argues that Danish EU policy may be understood thorough the analytical prism of awkwardness. The chapter makes three contributions towards understanding Danish awkwardness. First, the chapter unpacks the characteristics of Danish awkwardness and explain how it has developed since the debate over whether or not to seek membership in the early 1970s. Second, the chapter discusses how Danish state identity, rooted in the context of deep societal changes in Danish society in the second half of the nineteenth century and in the first part of the twentieth century has created a particular action space for Denmark’s engagement with the European integration project. Third, the chapter discusses Denmark’s strategies for managing awkwardness in the European Union.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Nordic States and European Integration : Awkward Partners in the North?
Editors	Malin Stegmann McCallion, Alex Brianson
Place of Publication	Cham
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan
Publication date	Jan 2018
Pages	13-34
Chapter	2
ISBN (Print)	9783319575612
ISBN (Electronic)	9783319575629
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57562-9
Publication status	Published - Jan 2018

Series	Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics

Keywords

Faculty of Social Sciences
Danish EU policy
Danish European policy
nordic exceptionalism
Scandinavian politics
Danish foreign policy
Small state strategy
Denmark
Euroscepticism
Welfare State
Europeanization

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10.1007/978-3-319-57562-9

Cite this

As Awkward as They Need to Be : Denmark's Pragmatic Activist Approach to Europe. / Wivel, Anders.

Nordic States and European Integration : Awkward Partners in the North?. ed. / Malin Stegmann McCallion; Alex Brianson. Cham : Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. p. 13-34 (Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review

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As Awkward as They Need to Be: Denmark's Pragmatic Activist Approach to Europe

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