In its 21 November 1994 issue, the German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel reports on the opposition of the Norwegian people to their country’s accession to the European Union. In the referendum held on 28 November, the Norwegian people vote against Norway’s accession to the European Union for the second time, after the 1972 referendum, with 52.2 % of ‘No’ votes.

Before the referendum held on 28 November 1994, numerous posters can be seen on the walls in Oslo inviting the people of Norway to vote in favour of their country’s accession to the European Union. The issue is all the more significant given that Norway voted against accession to the European Communities in the previous referendum held in September 1972.

Despite the final attempts to promote the ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum held on 28 November 1994, 52.5 % of Norwegian people vote against the country’s accession to the European Union.

On 28 November 1994, with reference to the Norwegian referendum on the accession of that country to the European Union, the conservative daily newspaper La Libre Belgique reviews the arguments of the supporters of the ‘no’ vote.

On 29 November 1994, the Madrid daily newspaper El País comments on the decision taken by the Norwegian people to vote against Norway’s accession to the European Union in the referendum held the previous day.

On 30 November 1994, the French daily newspaper Le Monde comments on the decision of the Norwegian people who, for the second time in their history, have voted against joining the European Community.

On 11 November 1994, the British left-wing daily newspaper The Guardian analyses why the Norwegians said ‘No’ to their country’s accession to the European Union.

On 30 November 1994, the daily newspaper Luxemburger Wort takes the view that the refusal by the Norwegian people to approve their country's accession to the European Union in the referendum held on 28 November does not represent an insurmountable problem for the process of European integration.

On 30 November 1994, the Madrid daily newspaper El País considers the reasons that prompted the Norwegian people to vote against the accession of their country to the European Union in the referendum held on 28 November.

On 30 November 1994, the German daily newspaper the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung analyses the repercussions of the Norwegian ‘no’ vote on the country’s accession to the European Union.

‘Unsuccessful siren.’ On 30 November 1994, the German cartoonist, Horst Haitzinger, illustrates the opposition of the Norwegian people to their country’s accession to the European Union in the referendum held on 28 November.

On 2 December 1994, the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit speculates as to the reasons for the renewed rejection by the Norwegian people, consulted in a referendum, of Norway's accession to the European Communities.

In this interview, Bjørn Tore Godal, former Norwegian Foreign Minister, analyses the reasons behind the second rejection by the Norwegians, in a referendum held on 28 November 1994, of their country’s accession to the European Union. He also discusses the reaction of the governments of the European Union’s Member States following the rejection.