Norwegian European Communities membership referendum, 1972
On 24 and 25 September 1972, a referendum on the country's accession to the European Economic Community was held in Norway. With a turnout of 79.2 per cent of the accession was rejected by 53.5 percent of voters.
Background
The European Economic Community ( EEC) was founded in 1957. Among the six founding members included the Federal Republic of Germany, France, the Benelux countries and Italy. All EEC countries the first hour were also part of the Western military alliance NATO. The EEC quickly proved successful economic model and in all Member States, there was a strong economic recovery. Norway had joined after the Second World War, NATO and had close economic ties to Western and Central Europe. As early as the 1960s, there were two attempts in 1961 and 1967 by the Norwegian side to enter into negotiations with the EEC on a EEC - Norway's accession. These negotiations (as well as other countries such as the United Kingdom ) were blocked by French President Charles de Gaulle, who wished no EEC enlargement. Only after the resignation of de Gaulle in 1969 paved the way free for the taking of other countries in the EEC.
In 1970 the Norwegian Storting decided by 132 votes to 17 votes to re-apply for membership of the EEC to make. The application also played by the fact that before the negotiations on a closer cooperation between the Nordic countries had failed, a role. However, the initial large parliamentary majority began to decrease during the negotiations and an application for adjustment of accession negotiations in 1971 won 37 votes in Parliament. The Sosialistisk Folkeparti ( SP) was from the beginning, however, and in the Kristelig Folkeparti ( KFP ) and Venstre were increasing the critical voices. Finally, the holding of a referendum on the accession issue was resolved.
Proponents of the EEC accession joined together in the Yes til EF ( ' yes' to EU " ) campaign. Most media outlets supported the Yes vote, as well as the major unions and employers' organizations. On the other hand, the Folkebevegelsen mot norsk medlemskap i stood EEC ( " People's Movement against Norwegian membership in the EEC" ), in which many farmers, fishermen, individual intellectuals and representatives of the left spectrum collected. Main arguments for the entry were economic benefits through the European Common Market, the main counter-argument was the loss of Norwegian sovereignty, and the possible restriction of Norwegian fishing rights.
And referendum results
The question to voters on 24 and September 25, 1972 submitted was:
" Bør Norge bli medlem av De Europeiske Fellesskap? "
"Should Norway to join the European Community? "
The following table shows the results by electoral districts:
As a result of accession to the EEC in the rural areas was mainly rejected ( 62.0 % No votes in the rural communities compared to 56.2 % of the votes in the urban municipalities) and it was only in the densely populated region around the capital Oslo a vast consent. As a result of this defeat and the obvious misjudgment of the voters 'will, the government came under Prime Minister Trygve Bratteli back ( Workers' Party ) and a Minderheitsgregierung of Christian Democrats, the Centre Party and the Left took over the government. Norway did not join the EEC and closed for a free trade agreement with the EEC from.