New Hanseatic League

{{Infobox Geopolitical organization

|conventional_long_name = New Hanseatic League

|linking_name =

|image_map = New Hanseatic League Members.png

|map_caption = Map of the European Union in light blue with the members of the New Hanseatic League in dark blue

|membership = {{unbulleted list |{{DEN}} |{{EST}} |{{FIN}} |{{IRL}} |{{LAT}} |{{LIT}} |{{NLD}} |{{SWE}} }}

|leader_title1 =

|leader_name1 =

|established = February 2018

|area_km2 = 1075220

|population_estimate = 49,510,438{{Cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32017D2461]|title=Council Decision of 12 December 2017|access-date=21 November 2018}}

|population_estimate_year = 2017

|population_density_km2 =

|GDP_PPP = $2,499 billion{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD?year_high_desc=true|title=World Bank, International Comparison Program database.|access-date=21 November 2018|archive-date=18 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118100926/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD?year_high_desc=true|url-status=live}}

|per capita =

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|website =

|demonym=|area_rank=|GDP_PPP_year=|HDI=|HDI_year=|today=}}

The New Hanseatic League, or the Hansa,{{Cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Mehreen |date=19 July 2018 |title=EU's New Hanseatic League picks its next battle |newspaper=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/aedbe32a-8af7-11e8-bf9e-8771d5404543 |url-status=live |access-date=10 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011013752/https://www.ft.com/content/aedbe32a-8af7-11e8-bf9e-8771d5404543 |archive-date=11 October 2018}} also called the Hanseatic League 2.0,O'Sullivan, M. and Skilling, D., [https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/hanseatic-league-2-0-reflects-changing-shape-of-eu-1.3746896 Hanseatic League 2.0 reflects changing shape of EU], Irish Times, published 4 January 2019, accessed 30 August 2022 was established in February 2018 by European Union finance ministers from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden through the signing of a two-page foundational document{{Cite web|url=https://vm.fi/documents/10623/6305483/Position+EMU+Denmark+Estonia+Finland+Ireland+Latvia+Lithuania+the+Netherlands+and+Sweden.pdf|title=Finance ministers from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden underline their shared views and values in the discussion on the architecture of the EMU|access-date=2018-10-10|archive-date=2020-07-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706140723/https://vm.fi/documents/10623/6305483/Position+EMU+Denmark+Estonia+Finland+Ireland+Latvia+Lithuania+the+Netherlands+and+Sweden.pdf|url-status=live}} that set out the "shared views and values in the discussion on the architecture of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EMU)". The name is derived from the Hanseatic League, a Northern European commercial and defensive league which lasted until the 16th century.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

The grouping sees clubbing together as a way to make up for the loss of the like-minded United Kingdom in the European political arena after Brexit.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/ca9dc2dc-c52a-11e8-bc21-54264d1c4647|title=The EU's new Hanseatic League picks its next Brussels battle|website=Financial Times|date=October 2018|language=en-GB|access-date=11 October 2018|archive-date=11 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011013721/https://www.ft.com/content/ca9dc2dc-c52a-11e8-bc21-54264d1c4647|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/aedbe32a-8af7-11e8-bf9e-8771d5404543|title=EU's New Hanseatic League picks its next battle|website=Financial Times|date=19 July 2018|language=en-GB|access-date=11 October 2018|last1=Khan|first1=Mehreen|archive-date=11 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011013752/https://www.ft.com/content/aedbe32a-8af7-11e8-bf9e-8771d5404543|url-status=live}} The countries involved want a more developed European single market, particularly in the services sector (i.e. a so-called 'Capital Markets Union'). They also want to develop the European Stability Mechanism into a full European Monetary Fund that would redistribute wealth from trade surplus to trade deficit EU member states.{{Cite news|url=https://spectator.clingendael.org/en/publication/why-new-hanseatic-league-will-not-be-enough|title=Why a New Hanseatic League will not be enough|date=2018-09-25|work=The Clingendael Spectator|access-date=11 October 2018|archive-date=2018-10-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011214517/https://spectator.clingendael.org/en/publication/why-new-hanseatic-league-will-not-be-enough|url-status=live}} A number of think tanks – including Free Trade Europa – support this policy approach.{{cite news |title=FREE TRADE EUROPA LANSERAR SIN EU-MANIFEST "OUR EUROPE. OUR FUTURE" |url=https://via.tt.se/pressmeddelande/free-trade-europa-lanserar-sin-eu-manifest-our-europe-our-future?publisherId=3235698&releaseId=3261725 |accessdate=16 June 2020 |publisher=Via TT |date=18 September 2019 |archive-date=16 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616204724/https://via.tt.se/pressmeddelande/free-trade-europa-lanserar-sin-eu-manifest-our-europe-our-future?publisherId=3235698&releaseId=3261725 |url-status=live }}

In a speech delivered in the Netherlands, Ireland's Tánaiste Simon Coveney suggested cooperation among the countries in the alliance could extend to foreign policy as well, such as the Middle East peace process and the EU's relations with Africa.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/speeches/speeches-archive/2018/april/tanaiste-speech-good-friday-agreement-brexit/|title=Speech by Tánaiste Simon Coveney T.D. at The Hague, The Netherlands|website=Irish Department of Foreign Affairs|access-date=11 October 2018|archive-date=11 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011214431/https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/speeches/speeches-archive/2018/april/tanaiste-speech-good-friday-agreement-brexit/|url-status=live}} Some have expressed fears the New Hanseatic League could exacerbate existing north–south political divides in Europe by grouping northern European countries too closely. A more recent fiscally conservative group of EU nations exists in an informal setting, dubbed the Frugal Four. It consists of some of the New Hanseatic League member states plus Austria.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

In November 2018, the New Hanseatic group called for the European Stability Mechanism to be given a greater role in scrutinising state budgets. Under the plan, formal tests of a state government's debt sustainability and ability to repay would be carried out before aid could be provided. The call came after the European Commission's rejection of Italy's 2019 budget, and was signed by all eight members of the League, along with two additional signatures from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ft.com/content/2975a1ca-ddc3-11e8-9f04-38d397e6661c?kbc=82645c31-4426-4ef5-99c9-9df6e0940c00 |title=Hawkish European capitals lobby to beef up eurozone bailout fund |date=2 November 2018 |website=Financial Times |accessdate=2 November 2018 |archive-date=4 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104010259/https://www.ft.com/content/2975a1ca-ddc3-11e8-9f04-38d397e6661c?kbc=82645c31-4426-4ef5-99c9-9df6e0940c00 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/the-euro-hawks-want-bigger-say-for-crisis-fund-in-cuts-and-reforms/ |title=The euro 'hawks' want bigger say for crisis fund in cuts and reforms |date=2 November 2018 |website=EURACTIV.com |accessdate=2 November 2018 |archive-date=2 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102185934/https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/the-euro-hawks-want-bigger-say-for-crisis-fund-in-cuts-and-reforms/ |url-status=live}}