Denmark sets referendum date

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said today that Denmark will hold its referendum on the European Union constitution on September 27.

Denmark's center-right government, which was re-elected in February, has always said it favored a referendum as opposed to a vote by lawmakers.

Recent polls, conducted during the national elections, and afterward, have showed that a majority of the country's 5.4 million residents would approve the constitution.

Shortly after his government's victory in the February 8 national elections, Fogh Rasmussen said the Danish government would work to persuade Danes to vote yes in any referendum.

"We will make sure that there'll be plenty of time ahead of the referendum to discuss the treaty with the voters," he said.
In Copenhagen, Helle Sjelle of the of the Conservative Party told Danish public broadcasters that "September is a good time for a vote."