The Three Nordic 1994 Referenda Concerning Membership in the EU

Abstract

The three Nordic referenda held in 1994 ended with Finland and Sweden inside and Norway outside the EU. Despite different outcomes, there are similarities in public opinion in the three countries regarding EU membership. The trend in opinion development from the beginning of the 1990s to the autumn of 1994 was the same, support for membership dropping in all three countries. Consequently, an international component could be observed. The most visible similarity, however, was the regional contrast — a south-north axis — with the stronghold of the opponents of membership in the rural areas in the north. A centre-periphery conflict appeared. The peripheries — defined not only geographically, but also socially (i.e. low socio-economic status) — were primarily in opposition to membership. However, the strengths of the peripheries vary. In Finland and Sweden the centre defeated the periphery, whereas in Norway the periphery defeated the centre. The strength of the Norwegian periphery is interpreted with reference to `political culture' as well as `self-interest' factors.