Home  /  Newsroom  /  News  /  2022  /  Danish soldiers with NATO eFP Battlegroup Estonia celebrate democracy by voting while deployed

TAPA, Estonia – Danish soldiers serving with NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup Estonia voted in the Danish general elections which took place on November 1. The Danish Armed Forces service members deployed abroad cast their votes by mail wherever they are located. 

The voting at the Estonian Army base in Tapa was a testament to democracy and freedom, the values which NATO stands for and is determined to defend whenever called upon. In accordance with strict legal regulations, all ballots were sent to the respective local municipalities in Denmark for the election day. 

During the parade preceding the event, Lieutenant Colonel Christian Enghusen Poulsen, the commander of the Danish contingent, spoke to the soldiers about historical relationships between Denmark and Estonia, and the Danish commitment to safeguarding the Estonian security. The two country’s ties go back to 1219, when — according to the legend — the Danish flag, Dannebrog, fell from the sky during the battle of Lyndanisse. To commemorate this legendary event, the Danish flag was lowered from the Tapa barracks.

Hung on the barracks in Tapa, the Danish flag (Dannebrog) is believed to have originated in Estonia, and is a potent symbol of the relationship between the two countries / Photo by NATO eFP Battlegroup Estonia