North Atlantic Euroscepticism: The rejection of EU membership in the Faroe Islands and Greenland

Abstract

The European Union is attracting more and more members. But not all of Europe is equally attracted to membership. In Europe’s North-Atlantic outskirts, the Faroe Islands and Greenland – two largely autonomous parts of Denmark – are holding out against increased European integration. When Denmark joined the European Communities in 1973, the Faroe Islands remained outside. Greenland had to join the European Communities against its will. But in 1985, Greenland became the first and only nation so far to withdraw its membership. This book explores Euroscepticism in the Faroe Islands and Greenland since 1959. Why did the Faroe Islands and Greenland reject EU membership? In order to keep their waters free from European fishermen or to preserve their political independence? And what were the consequences of Denmark becoming a member of the EU, while two self-governing parts of its territory did not?

Christian Rebhan (born 1985 in Munich) is a political scientist. After studying in Munich, Cork and Reykjavík from 2003 until 2008, he graduated with a MA degree in international relations from the University of Iceland. Ever since his first visit to the Faroe Islands in 2003, Rebhan’s research has particularly focused on politics in the North Atlantic nations. In 2014, he received a joint PhD degree in political science from the Humboldt University of Berlin and the University of Iceland for his thesis »North Atlantic Euroscepticism: The rejection of EU membership in the Faroe Islands and Greenland«.