Denmark and Maastricht, with Poul Skytte Christoffersen

24th October 2017

The Maastricht treaty on European Union had to be ratified by all 12 signatory countries or it would not take effect. Every country had its own rules for how treaties are ratified, and in three - Denmark, France and Ireland - a referendum was held. In June 1992, the Danes narrowly voted no - by 50.7 per cent to 49.3 per cent. In effect, 25,000 Danish voters decided the fate of the treaty, and sparked a political crisis in Europe. Poul Skytte Christoffersen, former Danish Permanent Representative to the European Union, spoke about what happened next, and what we might still learn from it.

Poul Skytte Christoffersen is Chair of the Board of Advisers at the European Policy Centre, Brussels, Former Ambassador of Denmark to Belgium and former Permanent Representative of Denmark to the European Union.