From coalition agreements to concepts and strategies: The evolution of Denmark’s foreign policy papers

Abstract

The changing political landscape in Northern Europe is attracting increasing attention of researchers to the specific features of the region’s foreign policies. A special place is occupied by the analysis of the Danish case, since there is a sound tradition of considering Denmark as not fitting the image of a coherent Nordic state, due in no small part to the phenomenon of Danish activism. However, insufficient attention has been paid to Danish policy papers, which formulate and contextualise Denmark’s foreign and defense policy. This article offers a detailed analysis of the coalition agreements of Danish governments and foreign and defense policy strategies over the past 30 years (1993–2023) to identify the distinguishing features of the evolution of these documents. Special conceptual pairs that define the core philosophy of a particular course are applied: internationalism/determinism, activism/adaptation, continuity/change, interests/values. As a result of the study, conclusions are drawn about the coexistence of two tendencies in these documents: leaning towards an analytical and philosophical understanding of international relations and laying out specific action plans and lists of priorities and tasks. Additionally, most coalition agreements turn out to be activist and internationalist, while the strategies are more likely to be adaptive and deterministic. Simultaneously, the pairs change/continuity and interests/values are conceptualised differently in each of the papers. Finally, the idea of a “new” place for Denmark in a “new” world remains central, and the quest for this place has remained the main objective of foreign policy over the past three decades.