# Why would the Scandinavian center-left be opposed to the EU **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 11, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-the-scandinavian-center-left-be-opposed-to-the-eu/759624 "2016-07-11T02:18:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-the-scandinavian-center-left-be-opposed-to-the-eu/759624/1 "2016-07-11T02:18:19Z")
I found this quote on the Internet, which surprised me: \*“In the Nordic countries, EU skepticism is very much a center left thing. The idea that only the right are against the EU is absurd.” Helle Hagenau, Norway No2EU campaigner \* The only explanation I can think of is that these Scandinavian countries are so far to the left that they oppose the EU as not being leftist _enough_. In other words, the EU is centrist. So right-wingers oppose the EU for being too leftist, and these Scandinavians oppose the EU for being too rightist? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-the-scandinavian-center-left-be-opposed-to-the-eu/759624/2 "2016-07-11T03:17:36Z")
Most of the Scandanavian left opposition to the EU comes out of two reasons…well, one overarching reason, really, tied in with a second reason: 1. It’s undemocratic 2. It’s market-liberal in orientation and opposes limitations to free markets, regardless of the needs of the individual state. Here’s an article by an anti-EU Norwegian group about why Norway shouldn’t join the EU: [http://www.neitileu.no/articles\_in\_foreign\_languages/the\_rationale\_for\_opposing\_norwegian\_membership\_in\_the\_european\_union](http://www.neitileu.no/articles_in_foreign_languages/the_rationale_for_opposing_norwegian_membership_in_the_european_union) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-the-scandinavian-center-left-be-opposed-to-the-eu/759624/3 "2016-07-11T05:22:31Z")
Maybe they remember Quisling and the last time Germans tried to take over their country? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-the-scandinavian-center-left-be-opposed-to-the-eu/759624/4 "2016-07-11T05:30:33Z")
Scandinavia != Nordic, but using the broadest terms for both: Finland is a “full” EU member. Sweden and Denmark are members, but maintain their own currency and have no strong desire to adopt the Euro. Norway and Iceland are not EU members, and not likely to join soon. Correct me if I’m wrong: the main center right and center left Norwegian parties (two largest parties) are both pro-EU (but maybe weakly; various factions have different preferences). Of the three main center parties, two are anti-EU and one perhaps less strongly anti-EU. The more rightwing party (#3) seems to be dodging the issue. The more left wing party is anti-EU. In other words, no group is gung ho for EU membership, and something like 70% of the population is (currently) opposed. Looks like Iceland is similar; the center right government is Euroskeptic, the main center-left party is pro-EU, but other left wing parties aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-the-scandinavian-center-left-be-opposed-to-the-eu/759624/5 "2016-07-14T02:50:31Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I found this quote on the Internet, which surprised me: > > \*“In the Nordic countries, EU skepticism is very much a center left thing. The idea that only the right are against the EU is absurd.” Helle Hagenau, Norway No2EU campaigner > \* > > The only explanation I can think of is that these Scandinavian countries are so far to the left that they oppose the EU as not being leftist _enough_ . . . Well, “left” and “right” are relative terms, of course, and whether you consider the EU to be leftist or rightist depends on where _you’re_ standing as much as it does on where the EU is standing. But from my own authoritatively objective impartial dispassionate viewpoint I can tell you that the EU isn’t leftist at all. It’s basically a construction of European Christian Democracy, which is usually seen as being right of centre, and it’s centrepiece and crowning achievement is of course the single market, and leftists are not generally noted for their celebration of the market. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-the-scandinavian-center-left-be-opposed-to-the-eu/759624/6 "2016-07-14T21:38:33Z")
As above, generally - this is pretty much it for me, and for the centre left: > [@](#): > > I am for Leave because the EU political project has four built-in and fatal flaws: it is undemocratic, neoliberal, corrupt and a bad foreign policy actor in a dangerous world. > > I am also for Leave because I believe that the Remain case rests on two fallacies: ‘No EU, no prosperity’ and ‘No EU, no peace’. > > And finally, I am willing to Leave because I think there is a better alternative: we can fight for – in a democracy you can do no more, there are no guarantees – a social democratic country modelling democratic internationalism and responsible global citizenship as an independent nation-state cooperating with its neighbours. > > So, four flaws, two fallacies and a better alternative. [http://hurryupharry.org/2016/06/20/why-i-am-voting-leave-by-professor-alan-johnson/](http://hurryupharry.org/2016/06/20/why-i-am-voting-leave-by-professor-alan-johnson/) ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-the-scandinavian-center-left-be-opposed-to-the-eu/759624/7 "2016-07-14T21:41:17Z")
plus: fuck Berlin 🙂