Danish constitutional referendum, 1939
Encyclopedia
A constitutional referendum was held in Denmark
on 23 May 1939. Voters were asked whether they approved of a new constitution
. Although it was approved by 91.9% of those who voted, a turnout of only 48.9% meant that the percentage of eligible voters approving it was only 44.46%, below the 45% required by the existing constitution of 1915.
with a new chamber
of parliament, the Rigsting. Additionally, the united parliament consisting of the members of the two other chambers was to become a third chamber of parliament. The united parliament would handle the more important types of bills, including the Budget and proposed changes to the constitution. Other bills could be proposed in either the Folketing or the Rigsting, and in order to pass they would have to go through three readings in the chamber, in which they were proposed, and two readings in the other. This would have been a simplification of the existing process where all bills had to go through three readings in each of the two chambers.
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Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
on 23 May 1939. Voters were asked whether they approved of a new constitution
Constitution of Denmark
The Constitutional Act of Denmark is the Kingdom of Denmark's constitution, or fundamental law. Originally verified in 1849, the last revision was signed on 5 June 1953 as "the existing law, for all to unswerving comply with, the Constitutional Act of Denmark".-Idea and structure:The main...
. Although it was approved by 91.9% of those who voted, a turnout of only 48.9% meant that the percentage of eligible voters approving it was only 44.46%, below the 45% required by the existing constitution of 1915.
Proposed changes from the existing constitution
The two primary changes in the proposed constitution from 1939 was lowering the electoral age from 25 to 23 years, and replacing the LandstingLandsting (Denmark)
The Landsting was a house of the Rigsdag in Denmark from 1849 until 1953, when the bicameral system was abolished. The house had powers equal to the Folketing, which made the two houses of parliament hard to distinguish....
with a new chamber
Chambers of parliament
Many parliaments or other legislatures consist of two chambers : an elected lower house, and an upper house or Senate which may be appointed or elected by a different mechanism from the lower house. This style of two houses is called bicameral...
of parliament, the Rigsting. Additionally, the united parliament consisting of the members of the two other chambers was to become a third chamber of parliament. The united parliament would handle the more important types of bills, including the Budget and proposed changes to the constitution. Other bills could be proposed in either the Folketing or the Rigsting, and in order to pass they would have to go through three readings in the chamber, in which they were proposed, and two readings in the other. This would have been a simplification of the existing process where all bills had to go through three readings in each of the two chambers.
Results
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| For | 966,277 | 91.9 |
| Against | 85,717 | 8.1 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 11,770 | – |
| Total | 1,063,764 | 100 |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver | ||
Aftermath
The Danish constitution was finally altered to its present form following a 1953 referendumDanish constitutional and electoral age referendum, 1953
A constitutional and electoral age referendum as held in Denmark on 28 May 1953. Both proposals were approved by voters, leading to both a new constitution taking effect on 5 June, and the electoral age being lowered from 25 to 23 years, also starting on 5 June...
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