A non-binding

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

on introduction of the

euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...

was held in Sweden on 14 September 2003. The majority voted not to adopt the euro, and thus Sweden decided in 2003 not to adopt the euro for the time being. Had they voted in favour, the plan was that Sweden would have adopted the euro on 1 January 2006. The ballot text was "Do you think that Sweden should introduce the euro as currency?" ( sv, Anser du att Sverige skall införa euron som valuta?). Sweden in Europe was the main umbrella group campaigning for a Yes vote. The No vote campaign was led by two organisations, representing left () and right wing politicians respectively. The political parties were divided, with the Centre Party, Left Party and

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...

being against, and the

Moderates Moderate is an ideological category which designates a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion. A moderate is considered someone occupying any mainstream position avoiding extreme views. In American ...

Christian Democrats __NOTOC__ Christian democratic parties are political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social ...

and Liberal People's Party being for. The Social Democrats did not take a position due to internal disagreements.

Background

Sweden joined the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

in 1995 and its accession treaty has since obliged it to join the euro. However, one of the requirements for eurozone membership is two years' membership of ERM II, and Sweden has chosen not to join this mechanism and as a consequence tie its exchange rate to the euro ±2.25%. While there is government support for membership, all parties have pledged not to join without a referendum in favour of doing so.

Results

The voter turnout was 82.6%, and the result was 55.9% against and 42.0% in favour. A majority of voters in Stockholm voted in favour of adopting the euro (54.7% "yes", 43.2% "no"). In

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne ...

and Stockholm

counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

the "yes" votes (49.3%) outnumbered the "no" votes (48.5%), although the invalid and blank votes resulted in no majority for either option. In all other parts of Sweden, the majority voted no. Among municipalities, a majority of those in western

, and in Stockholm, voted yes.

Kungsbacka Kungsbacka () (old da, Kongsbakke) is a locality and the seat of Kungsbacka Municipality in Halland County, Sweden, with 19,057 inhabitants in 2010. It is one of the most affluent parts of Sweden, in part due to its simultaneous proximity to the ...

and Haparanda also voted "yes". All other municipalities voted "no". Source:

Nationalencyklopedin ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (; "The National Encyclopedia" in English), abbreviated NE, is a comprehensive contemporary Swedish-language encyclopedia, initiated by a favourable loan from the Government of Sweden of 17 million Swedish kronor in 1 ...

Notes

References

{{Swedish elections Referendums in Sweden Sweden Sweden and the European Union Referendums related to the European Union 2003 in Sweden September 2003 events in Europe 2003 in the European Union

Background

Results

See also

Notes

References