Denmark moves closer to referendum on EU opt-outs

Global Business

Denmark moves closer to referendum on EU opt-outs

If Britain votes to leave the European Union, could others follow? It’s a question troubling leaders in Brussels because the U.K. isn’t the only country facing a rise in Euroscepticism.

In Denmark, some are calling for a vote within 12 months.

CCTV’s Guy Henderson reports from Copenhagen.
Follow Guy Henderson on Twitter @guyhendersonde

When Jesper Morville first campaigned for Denmark to leave the EU, almost everyone told him there was no alternative.

That is no longer the consensus. In three months, he has gathered 10,000 signatures in support of a referendum. Morville said he believes that is a sign the Danes are increasingly disillusioned.

“So far the EU hasn’t had any answers to this crisis — an economic crisis which started in 2008, and their handling of it in countries like Greece, Spain, Ireland definitely hasn’t benefited the economies of those countries,” Morville said.

Referendum ripples have reached Danish shores. A poll conducted by Denmark’s national broadcaster showed 42 percent of Danes support the idea of an in/out vote on EU membership, and that 37 percent would back an exit from the bloc. The leaflets they handed out here gave a clue as to why this issue has now come to the forefront — on the front, they say “Follow Britain.”

If the U.K. leaves, many Danish politicians believe a similar ballot may be hard to resist. There is no referendum fever in Denmark yet. But aside from Britain, the temperature in Denmark is higher than perhaps anywhere else.


Brexit vote threatens Gibraltar’s future

Britain’s vote on whether to stay or leave the EU could have huge consequences for the whole of Europe. But there are some areas within the EU that could feel the impact of a Brexit more than most.

CCTV’s Dan Williams reports. Follow Dan Williams on Twitter @Danielclearcut

Gibraltar has been described as being more British than Britain, but with the added bonus of a Mediterranean climate.

Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain in 1713 under a treaty Spain now disputes. Sovereignty over the peninsula remains unresolved.

If Britain votes to leave the EU, many of the 32,000 residents fear it would boost Spain’s hope of reclaiming sovereignty. But the Gibraltar officials dismiss that possibility.


Angus Armstrong discusses UK referendum

For more on how the outcome could change the global economic dynamic, CCTV America’s Elaine Reyes spoke with Angus Armstrong from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.