Photo: Johannes Jansson / norden.org
The study by Sentio on the recommendation of the Norwegian newspaper Klassekampen is surprising with its results. It shows that if the Nordic Union were to be established, almost half of Swedes and Danes would rather be part of it than the European Union. Such an organization would include the following countries: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland.
Over 1000 people were interviewed
Sentio conducted a survey on a representative group of 1000 people who are citizens of Sweden and Denmark. A simple question was asked: "Do you prefer your country to stay in the European Union?" and "Would you prefer a Nordic Union to which your country would belong?" The answers are surprising - almost half of the respondents would prefer to leave the European Union.
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Survey results
As it turns out, over 47% of Swedes prefer the formation of the Nordic Union. 45% of Danes also made such a declaration. On the other hand, 32% of Swedes and 36% of Danes were in favor of staying in the European Union. Others had no opinion on this topic.
The Nordic Union - what would it look like?
The Nordic Union would consist of the following countries: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. The following independent territories would also belong to it: the Åland Islands, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Such an organization would constitute the 10th world power, and its GDP would exceed the economies of countries such as India, Russia or Canada. The concept was proposed by the Swedish historian Gunnar Wetterberg. As it turns out - the topic is still relevant and seriously considered by the Scandinavian countries.
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A similar union has existed before
The Nordic Union would have one leader - Queen Margaret. Her figure symbolically links this organization with the medieval Kalmar Union. The local creation survived a little over a hundred years, but fell apart as a result of the outbreak of bloody civil wars. Subsequent attempts to reunify the Scandinavian countries were unsuccessful, and both external and internal factors stood in their way.
Nordic Union - advantages
The advantages of the Nordic Union would be, above all, the increased importance of the associated countries on the international arena. They would have a common foreign and defense policy. Any disputes arising from the labor market would also be resolved at the federation level. Probably the representatives of the Union would be given a seat in an increasingly important body such as the G20 summit. The chances of resolving the question of exploring natural resources in the Arctic would also increase. Currently, Norway, Greenland and Denmark are competing for access to them with such powers as Russia and Canada.
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Nordic Union - disadvantages
However, this solution has its drawbacks. The first challenge would be the division of competences among the members of this organization, as well as the choice of the location of its capital. The establishment of the main language also remains a controversial issue. Copying the system from the European Union does not seem to be economically justified - if only because of the costs incurred for the necessary translations.
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Another significant obstacle is the issue of meeting obligations towards NATO and the EU - the more so as not all members of the Nordic Union would be members of the above-mentioned organizations. Another problematic issue is the coordination of foreign policy and the establishment of a common currency.
Utopia or the future?
The Nordic Union is an attractive alternative to a bureaucratic European Union. It would be made up of countries with a high GDP growth rate. Its member states would gain in importance in the international arena, and would probably also get a place in the G20. However, the above-mentioned problems significantly hinder the creation of such an organization. There are a number of problem areas that require system solutions. Therefore, if potential members of the Nordic Union really want to create such an organization, they must take the necessary actions today. Nothing is impossible - it is enough to mention the fact that after the Second World War, no one believed in the creation of the European Community.
