Denmark: What’s so bad about nationalism?

Jesper Langballe

Berlingske

How did the idea that Denmark has the right to control its own borders become so controversial? asked Jesper Langballe. After the Danish People’s Party successfully pushed to renew border controls along Denmark’s only land border, with Germany, some liberal politicians here went nuts, calling the DPP leader “un-Danish.” The insult makes no sense. After all, “without a border, there is no nation,” so those who defend our borders are in fact the most Danish of all.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

We in the DPP recognize that Denmark made a mistake years ago when it joined the Schengen group and succumbed to the “fanatical cult of the borderless Europe.” This cult was born in Germany, “a neurotic nation pursued by the shadows of its past.” It was in an attempt “to exorcise that Nazi past” that Germany created the European Union—“a supranational monster” that was supposed to vanquish the monster of nationalism.

It’s all perfectly understandable; it must be hard to live with such a history. But as Margaret Thatcher once said, “Why should we all lose our freedom just because France is afraid of Germany and Germany is afraid of itself?” If we, too, become just as afraid of nationalism as the Germans are, well, “wouldn’t that be un-Danish”?