How Denmark, Sweden and Finland could harm the European project – European Council on Foreign Relations
Hear the word “Denmark”, and you may well think of it “cozy”, bicycles and scenic coastlines. Similar images are likely to appear in all of the country’s Nordic neighbors.
What many people in Europe overlook is the rather darker news coming from the north. Nevertheless, Europeans should not ignore some of the Nordic countries’ increasingly problematic policies.
The Danish intelligence service was recently revealed to have helped The United States is spying on high-profile politicians in Germany and across Europe, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. This created some headlines at the time. But if the perpetrators had instead been from a central or eastern EU member state, there is no doubt that the episode would have fitted into a story about how some countries’ dubious domestic policies risk undermining the EU. As it is, Denmark has hardly suffered a dent in its image in Germany or elsewhere.
It is not the only scandal recently: this year the Danish government announced plans to relocate refugees arriving in Denmark as an asylum center in “partner countries” outside Europe. This not only made human rights activists angry but also received reprimands from United Nations and EU sig. Denmark has form here: it wanted before to imprison “unwanted foreigners” on an inaccessible island in the Baltic Sea. The government stepped back at that time, but it was no different Brexit taste suggestions made by the UK Government.
Danish politics is a product of a Social Democratic-led government but has come into being under the influence of the far-right Danish People’s Party, which has been maintained for many decades. What happened to the past liberal Denmark? Politico asked recently. And given these dramatic changes, how can this image of a liberal, social democratic welfare paradise still exist?
Sweden shows similar trends. Most recently, the Left Party worked with the right-wing extremist Sweden Democrats to overthrow Prime Minister Stefan Lofven over a dispute over market-driven rents. He has since been restored to his former post, but the Sweden Democrats went stronger than ever from this midsummer crime. They will probably not sit in government after the election in September 2022, but they will certainly have more influence, as they are already today the Riksdag’s third largest party. The conservative Moderates and Liberals have both said that they would not rule out that they cooperate with the Sweden Democrats from case to case.
Finland is also not immune to these changes. The Conservative Party Finland Party has recently increased in popularity, as the local elections in June will take place confirmed. And in May, its MPs tried block Finnish Parliament’s approval of the EU Recycling Fund.
Such a development does not create nearly the same concerns as it does when it takes place in newly acceded EU Member States or in France. Of course, the Nordic countries are older and more stable democracies. But why else could it be so – are they really that small and unimportant?
Economically, this is not the case, as all three countries are net payers to the EU budget, which gives them a great deal of influence in money talks. Instead, it is likely that successful marketing of the Nordic “brand” has really yielded results. And these states are making the best of this, presenting themselves as pioneers and making sure, for example, that they use negotiations to persuade the EU to go further and faster on issues such as gender equality and the environment.
In fact, Sweden carefully checks its global image regularly, publish reports and opinion polls on how the country is perceived abroad. The Swedish Institute took this work even more seriously during the pandemic, when Sweden really risked losing its position against its neighbors and around the world. Spoiler alert: it did not.
The enormously positive image of the Nordic countries is so well established that more difficult news simply does not fit into the established framework. As a result, the recipient of bad news tends to dismiss what they hear. Western European states – including certainly Germany – still look up to and want to emulate their northern cousins.
It is time to take a cooler look at Scandinavia’s domestic policy and what this could mean for the rest of Europe. Assuming that they can never do any harm, for example, one could be surprised at the coalitions formed after the next European elections. Like the unthinkable thing about Brexit, European leaders may be unprepared when asked to sit down with new politicians who are still basking in the light of a Nordic reputation – but who have a completely different approach to politics, European integration and rights and freedoms. In 2020, the Sweden Democrats vetoed the rule of law’s conditions for access to EU funds, thus cuddling Poland and Hungary. This gesture was repeated when members of the Sweden Democrats abstained in the European Parliament’s resolution condemning Hungary’s controversial LGBTQ law. It was the only Swedish party that failed to support the motion – a fair statement that would be made by MPs from the parliament most LGBTQ + -friendly country and a global advocate for equal rights.
Those who support European integration and the defense of human rights within the EU should recognize this condition, rather than erase it. If deeply illiberal and Eurosceptic right-wing parties continue to become more influential in Denmark, Sweden and Finland, it will not only be the citizens of these countries who will bear the consequences.
The European Council on Foreign Relations does not take a collective position. ECFR publications represent the views of individual authors only.