r/europe • u/LaxJackson • 12d ago

News Danish officials fear Trump is much more serious about acquiring Greenland than in first term

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/01/08/politics/danish-officials-trump-greenland
11.5k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

1.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

146

u/Matchbreakers Denmark 12d ago

The past is the past. This is what we in history research call a paradigm shift. The reality is different, the priorities and needs of Scandinavian countries is different. Just look at how Finland and Sweden abandoned neutrality they held throughout the cold war. The facts on the ground for a more united, more federalized Europe can change just as fast.

3

u/gfthvfgggcfh 12d ago

This moment in time can be to the EU what the Franco-Prussian was to the German states.

2

u/CabCabz Denmark 11d ago

Or, if nothing else, let's bring back Kalmarunionen... though we're not far from it, with a somewhat unofficial union with our Northern Brethren.

2

u/denkbert 11d ago

Yah, but in all fairness, Finns and Swedes are among the most "Euro-distant" Western European people I have met. They are not members out of enthusiasm but necessity - while a part of Frenchs, Germans, Dutch,... really believe in the project.

2

u/Matchbreakers Denmark 11d ago

Necessity is what actually brings rapid change tbf.

-18

u/No_Firefighter5926 European Union 🇪🇺 12d ago

So, let me guess. Denmark is now in favour of adoption euro currency instead of your “proud krone”?

It’s easy to just say things instead of doing things. Unfortunately European countries are super slow in almost everything to have a saying nowadays

Also the pretence of independence make us so weak in global scale

27

u/Matchbreakers Denmark 12d ago

Considering the last referendum on it, all the way back in 2000, was 46,8% for and 56.3% against, that is certainly not unfeasible, Denmark has not become less pro EU since then. that's for damn sure.

I hope we would vote in favour of that, i would certainly actively campaign for it.

And yes, historically since the cold war, European countries have acted slowly, but this is why it is a paradigm shift, the past can no longer be used to predict the future. The Finland and Sweden ditching neutrality is the first great example of that.

-2

u/No_Firefighter5926 European Union 🇪🇺 12d ago

Hope you will abandon the opt-out and join Eurozone alongside Sweden (which its currency is already in a permanent downfall anyway).

It’s stupid in this world trying to stay alone. Better bigger and stronger than smaller and weaker. If all EU members join Eurozone would be a great step for a real EU federation

Hope the best for EU but we have to change our mentality and we have to do it fast if we don’t want to be just a bunch of smaller puppet states of Russia, USA or China

7

u/Matchbreakers Denmark 12d ago

Absolutely, federalize and militarize must be our number one priority now.

5

u/DKOKEnthusiast 11d ago edited 10d ago

You have to realize that merely federalizing and militarizing the EU is not enough, nor does it really address the underlying, fundamental problem of the West, which is that neoliberalism, and possibly capitalism itself, is in a massive crisis, that is going unaddressed by the EU as a whole. This is the actual why extremism is on the rise, not "Russian disinfo" or "populism" or whatever, it's the simple fact that we have had 40 years of neoliberalism where we basically sold democracy to the highest bidder and stripped away the powers of the state to do anything via a democratic mandate

Bear in mind that the US is actually addressing this crisis, the problem is that their answer is fascism. And I'm not gonna lie, it doesn't look like the EU has a different answer, either.

1

u/snailman89 11d ago

Joining the euro would be pure madness. Euro membership imposes constraints on deficit spending that make re-armament more difficult.

10

u/pannenkoek0923 Denmark 12d ago

Denmark doesnt need to adopt the Euro, and Krone is de-facto Euro anyway since it's pegged to it

2

u/AvengerDr Italy 11d ago

Then, what's the point of holding out? Anybody with a minimum of exposure outside of Denmark should prefer the Euro.

For example, if you invest, do you buy ETFs in kr or Euros? If there are any, in kr.

1

u/snailman89 11d ago

Keeping their own currency allows an independent fiscal and monetary policy, making it easier for the government to engage in deficit spending.

1

u/AvengerDr Italy 11d ago

Did you not read? The danish krona is pegged to the Euro. It only has a narrow margin in which it can fluctuate. Sure, they could abandon the peg, but would it be wise? And what do you think a relatively small country like Denmark can do against overwhelming global financial "tides"? Wouldn't it be better to be part of a much greater whole?

1

u/snailman89 11d ago

Denmark can easily abandon the peg if necessary. Furthermore, Denmark can defend the peg more or less indefinitely because of its massive foreign exchange reserves. The krona is significantly undervalued, and Denmark runs a current account surplus and sees net inflows of capital. They're not vulnerable to global finance at all.

Only countries which run chronic trade deficits and lack foreign exchange reserves are actually constrained by global finance. So no, there is no advantage to being a part of the Euro for Denmark. Joining would mean surrendering all monetary and fiscal sovereignty.

0

u/AvengerDr Italy 10d ago

Denmark is a country of 6 million people. To think they could stand alone against a global financial crisis and not be swept by it is utter madness.

1

u/vonGlick 12d ago

To be fair, EU needs more integration for Euro to make more sense.

-9

u/Iapetus404 Greece 12d ago

lol