The Nordic countries as pioneers of differentiation

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the reasons why the Nordic countries have been considered as a laboratory for the study and development of models of differentiated integration. From Denmark’s sticky opt-outs to Sweden’s de facto exemption from the Economic and Monetary Union, the Nordic countries have been pioneers in the field, although Finland remains in the inner core of the European Union (EU). This chapter compares the situation in four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) and focuses on the roots of differentiation in the Nordic countries. It also considers why despite sharing a series of socio-economic and cultural similarities, each Nordic country opted for a different type..