"The EU Referenda in Austria, Finland, Sweden and Norway"

Kaiser, Wolfram. (1995) "The EU Referenda in Austria, Finland, Sweden and Norway". In European Union Studies Association (EUSA) > Biennial Conference > 1995 (4th), May 11-14, 1995, pages 11, Charleston, South Carolina.

Abstract

Since January 1, 1995 Austria, Finland and Sweden have been members of the European Union. The citizens of all four applicant countries, that is, including Norway, which had negotiated EU entry by March 1994, decided on EU entry in referenda. In Austria on June 12 66,6% voted in favour and 33,4% against. Turnout was 82,4%. In Finland on October 16 56,9% voted in favour and 43,1 % against. Turnout was 74,O%. In Sweden on November 13 52,3% voted in favour and 46,8% against. Turnout here was 83,3%. Finally, in Norway on November 28 47,8% voted f o r EU membership and 52,2 % against. At 88.8% turnout was particularly high. In this paper I will summarize the main findings of a research project on these EU referenda which I have carried out jointly with colleagues from Scandinavia. After a brief introduction to the constitutional foundations of the respective referenda, I will give an overview, based on opinion and exit poll data, of the most important factors and motives which influenced the course of the referendum debates and the results, and of the most significant regional and social cleavages we have identified. I will then go on to discuss briefly the potential influence of the referenda on the formation of policy preferences of the new member-states within the Union.