2009 Danish Act of Succession referendum

In parliament

Under the rules for change of constitution, the law must be passed by two Parliaments, before and after an election, and then approved by a referendum. The law was passed in 2006 with only one abstention (Simon Emil Ammitzbøll of the Social Liberal Party, who later formed his own party, Borgerligt Centrum). The law was passed again by the new Folketing elected in 2007 on 24 February 2009 with two abstentions (of the left-wing Enhedslisten). It was then submitted to a referendum.

Relation to constitution

No changes would be made to the constitution and §2 would continue to refer to the Act of Succession of 1953 even though that reference would become invalid. Jens Peter Christensen, then professor of administrative law at the University of Aarhus and now a member of the Danish Supreme Court, has described this as "a mess" and as an "overly clever" way for then–Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to signal that the government will oppose any other changes to the constitution. At the same time Christensen emphasizes that he has no doubt that the procedure is legal.

Prognosis for referendum

Changes to the act of succession in Denmark follow the same rules as changes to the constitution. First, it must be passed by parliament, then passed in unchanged form by the next parliament following parliamentary elections, and then be submitted to a public referendum. In order for the law to be approved in the referendum, it must get both a majority of votes cast in favour and at least 40% of all eligible voters voting in favour. Although an opinion poll from May 2005 showed a majority of 77% in favour of the change, it would not guarantee passage of the bill. In fact turnout at the preceding European Parliament elections in 2004 was so low (47.6%), that even a 77% margin in favour would not take the proposal past the 40% threshold. However, turnout increased and at midnight on the election night with most votes counted, the threshold had been passed and the law was certain to pass.

Campaign and positions

In late May, the government launched an official campaign. The Prime Minister's Department admitted the official campaign video is an imitation of a sketch from the British comedy show Harry Enfield's Television Programme.

Historian Steffen Heiberg alleged in a Ritzau story on 1 June 2009 that Queen Margrethe II herself was "rather opposed" to the change.

Results

As the electorate was 4,042,185, and the minimum threshold of passing was 40 percent of the electorate, at least 1,616,874 people must have voted in favor of the change, while maintaining a majority in votes cast. 85.4% voted for the change, whilst 14.6% voted against change. The referendum had a 58.3% turnout.

The number of blank and invalid votes was much higher in big cities, especially Copenhagen. If based on the local results from Copenhagen alone, the change would not have passed.

Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated that the referendum "was important for gender equality" and "a strong signal that shows that we want to be a society where men and women have the same opportunities, whether it is for ordinary people or princes and princesses".

References

References

1. Hüttemeier, Christian (6 October 2008). [http://politiken.dk/politik/article578392.ece ''Vi skal stemme om tronfølgen''] {{webarchive. link. (9 October 2008 {{in lang). da. [[Politiken]]. Retrieved on 6 October 2008.
2. (9 June 2009). "Denmark votes to change royal succession rules". [[Deutsche Welle]].
3. "Females get the nod in Denmark WORLD {{!}} NEWS".
4. [https://archive.today/20130212181534/http://www.ft.dk/doc.aspx?/Samling/20051/lovforslag/L1/index.htm 2005-06 - L 1 (oversigt): Forslag til lov om ændring af tronfølgeloven. (Ligestilling mellem kønnene i arvefølgen - fremsat i henhold til proceduren i grundlovens § 88).] [[Folketinget]] {{in lang. da. Retrieved on 25 November 2007.
5. [http://www.folketinget.dk/Samling/20081/afstem/202.htm 2008-09 – Afstemning nr. 202: 3. behandling af L 1, om tronfølgeloven.] [[Folketinget]] {{in lang. da.
6. (27 October 2005). "Jens Peter Christensen skal være Højesteretsdommer".
7. da. [[Danmarks Radio]]. Retrieved on 7 December 2008.
8. "Danish constitution".
9. [http://www.catinet.dk/Nyheder/tabid/158/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/277/Ligestilling-i-kongehuset.aspx ''Ligestilling i kongehuset'']{{Dead link. (October 2018). da. Catinét Research. Retrieved on 18 October 2008.
10. [[DR (broadcaster). DR]], [http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Temaer/2009/Europa/2009/06/07/204555.htm "Tronfølgeloven bliver ændret"] {{Webarchive. link. (11 June 2009 , 8 June 2009.)
11. [http://tronfoelge.dk Official information campaign site] {{Webarchive. link. (28 May 2009 , Prime Minister's Department)
12. link. (2 January 2016 , Harry Enfield Show, Youtube)
13. [http://www.berlingske.dk/article/20090601/danmark/906010301/ "Dronningen imod ændring af tronfølgeloven"] {{Webarchive. link. (11 June 2009 , Berlingske Tidende, 1 June 2009)
14. "Archived copy".
15. "Statistics Denmark".