Analysis of the reasons for Norway's rejection of the European integration in 1972 and 1994

Firstly, this thesis focuses on the results of the two Norwegian EC/EU referendums. The scientific analyses are not numerous on this topic in spite of its relative importance in history for being the only country who joined the integration process twice to the EC/EU, yet ultimately failed to gather sufficient popular support to finalise the procedure. The study starts with a synopsis of resources used for a better understanding of the topic. Norway gave namely birth to several seminal theories in political science widely used nowadays, such as Rokkan’s cleavages theory. Secondly, there is an overview of the historical, economic and political framework of the Norwegian state. More than anywhere else in the Nordics, Norwegian political behaviour is entangled in a complex historical and cultural background. The next chapter synthetises the views of the voters, which are categorised in ideal-typical classes. The relevance of each criterion comes under analysis to try to reach the best understanding of the typical voting behaviour of certain fragments of the population. Lastly, this essay depicts diachronically the evolving political and social landscape in both Norway and the European Community or Union in the 22-year span between these two referendums. The above mentioned dynamics, even more than static descriptions, help us to understand the subject at hand. The conclusion opens up new ideas that could be researched or analysed.