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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Denmark planning new vote on euro | Denmark planning new vote on euro |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Danish government has said it would like to hold a fresh referendum on whether to adopt the euro. | The Danish government has said it would like to hold a fresh referendum on whether to adopt the euro. |
| Back in 2000, the Danish people voted by 53% to 47% not to join the single currency and instead keep the krone. | Back in 2000, the Danish people voted by 53% to 47% not to join the single currency and instead keep the krone. |
| Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, whose centre-right government was re-elected last week, said "the time was approaching" to reassess the euro. | Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, whose centre-right government was re-elected last week, said "the time was approaching" to reassess the euro. |
| He said he also wanted the referendum to look at ending Denmark's opt-outs in defence, justice and home affairs. | 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. | Denmark was granted the four exemptions after voters rejected the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. They adopted the document the following year. |
| It's a difficult thing to do in Denmark... because the EU is always controversial Dan JorgensenSocial Democrat MEP | |
| "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. | "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 at some stage in the next four years, he indicated. | |
| A member of the European Parliament for the opposition Social Democrats, Dan Jorgensen, said his party had been asking for a vote for several years but it was a difficult thing to do in Denmark and its leaders had tended to avoid taking the risk because "the EU is always controversial". | |
| Nordic scepticism | |
| Denmark previously raised the issue of a fresh referendum on the euro in 2003, but it did not come to anything on that occasion. | Denmark previously raised the issue of a fresh referendum on the euro in 2003, but it did not come to anything on that occasion. |
| An opinion poll of 1,000 people published last month in the run-up to the election suggested that 51% of Danes were happy to ditch the opt-out on the euro, and 40% were opposed. | |
| Economic analysts say that as the krone has been tracking the euro, joining the single currency would have minimal impact. | Economic analysts say that as the krone has been tracking the euro, joining the single currency would have minimal impact. |
| Finland is the only Nordic country to have joined the euro. Sweden rejected the single currency in a referendum in 2003 and Norway is part of the European Economic Area rather than the EU. | |
| The Danish prime minister also said that he wanted his country to ratify the EU reform treaty quickly, but he gave no indication that there would be a referendum on it. | |
| The treaty is due to be signed in Lisbon next month and will then require ratification in all member states. | |
| At a news conference in which he set out his government's priorities for the next four years, Mr Rasmussen said he would try to improve conditions for asylum-seekers and seek to bring down the rate of income tax. | |
| Denmark joined the European Economic Community, the precursor to today's European Union, in 1973, at the same time as the UK and the Republic of Ireland. |