Peace and Politics: The Danish Peace Movement and Its Impact on National Security Policy

The rise of the peace movements in the West can be interpreted as a sign of weakness on the part of existing party systems, and in particular the Social Democratic parties. But the parties still control the policy-making process, and if they want to make an impact on official policy, the peace movements will therefore have to work, directly or indirectly, through the party system and especially through the Social Democratic parties. The question is whether the peace movements are optimally structured for influencing the policy process. The present article discusses these paradoxes through an analysis of the political impact of the Danish peace movement. First a short sketch is presented of the century-old relationship between the movement and the Danish policy-making establishment. Next, a structural analysis of the 'new' peace movement discusses its strengths and weaknesses as well as its chosen strategies for influence. Finally, a case study is presented of the political impact of the peace movement on the policies of the Social Democratic party since 1980.