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Denmark is to hold new euro vote Denmark planning new vote on euro
(about 1 hour later)
Denmark is to hold a new referendum on whether to adopt the euro as its national currency. The Danish government has said it would like to hold a fresh referendum on whether to adopt the euro.
Voters roundly rejected the euro in a referendum in 2000, against the wishes of the government and business leaders. Back in 2000, the Danish people voted by 53% to 47% not to join the single currency and instead keep the krone.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he believed it was time to reassess Denmark's exemptions to co-operating with the European Union. Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, whose centre-right government was re-elected last week, said "the time was approaching" to reassess the euro.
Thirteen countries have adopted the euro since 1999. Cyprus and Malta will join them on 1 January 2008. He said he also wanted the referendum to look at ending Denmark's opt-outs in defence, justice and home affairs.
Denmark was granted the four exemptions after voters rejected the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. They adopted the document the following year.
People's opportunity
"It is the government's view that the people in this parliamentary term should have the opportunity to take a stance on the Danish EU opt-outs," said Mr Rasmussen.
The referendum will take place some time in the next four years.
Denmark previously raised the issue of a fresh referendum on the euro in 2003, but it did not come to anything on that occasion.
Economic analysts say that as the krone has been tracking the euro, joining the single currency would have minimal impact.
The Danes joined the European Economic Community, the precursor to today's European Union, in 1973, at the same time as the UK and Republic of Ireland.