Strategies of Small Member States Towards the Institutional Reform of EU - The Case of Denmark

Abstract: The institutional reform of EU poses a challenge for small Member States because it touches upon fundamental principles of formal equality and representation in EU. This paper tries to understand the strategies of small Member States towards the institutional reform. Hence, a theoretical model is developed. The theoretical model consists of three strategies that interact with on another: the offensive strategy, the defensive strategy and the smallness strategy. The offensive and defensive strategies originate from the integration dilemma where small states are placed in a dilemma between autonomy and influence. The two theories represent different views on the gains of integration and on the level of participation in the integration process. The smallness strategy originates from a different approach ? actor-centered approach ? and represents different ways for small states to exploit their smallness advantages in international relations. This theoretical model is applied to the case of Denmark which, as a typical reluctant member, is a motivating study. The study concludes that the strategy of Denmark both reflect offensive, defensive and smallness elements.