Reshuffled Danish government to hold new vote on euro

(COPENHAGEN) - Denmark's centre-right government said Wednesday in its new programme it planned to organise another referendum on adopting the euro, but did not set a date for the vote.

It argued that staying out of the eurozone, as well as the other exemptions Denmark was granted in 1992 when it joined the EU, went against Danish interests.

"We now see the effects of our position with regards to the common currency, at a moment when eurozone countries are strengthening their collaboration," the government wrote in its manifesto, adding that Denmark's economy was worse hit during the financial crisis because it was outside the eurozone.

The Danish government presented its new priorities following a massive cabinet shuffle Tuesday which saw new ministers take over the foreign affairs and defence portfolios.

It said Denmark's economy had been hurt by a growing discrepancy between Danish and eurozone interest rates, and because the country "was not sitting at the table where essential decisions where taken."

After rejecting the EU's Maastricht Treaty in 1992, Danes adopted the document in a second referendum in May 1993 after obtaining four exemptions on the euro, joint defence, judiciary cooperation and European citizenship.

On September 28, 2000, Danes rejected the single currency in a referendum, 53 percent voting against the euro.

"The government still plans on organising a referendum on these exemptions and will, when the moment comes, start discussions with the parties represented in parliament in order to guarantee strong political support to the popular consultation and the best chances of obtaining a positive result," it said in the programme.