50% OF DANES BACK THE EURO.

• Position: Currency membership for Denmark

It is reported that 50% of Danish citizens would vote in favour of single currency membership for Denmark if a referendum were to be held now on this issue (36% are opposed and 16% don't know). This is revealed in a survey the conservative daily Jyllands-Posten published on October 26. This is the first time since 1996 that an opinion poll has recorded a majority in favour of the Euro. The Danish Government has still to fix a date for a referendum, but it is due to be staged prior to March 2002, the date of the next general elections. The Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, Pedro Solbes, has warned Denmark that rising inflation could compromise the prospect of Euro membership for the country. The warning was issued during an interview with the daily Boersen, on October 21. Mr Solbes said "price increases in Denmark are slightly above the limit considered acceptable" for Euro membership.The economic convergence criteria proposes that a would-be member's...