DENMARK: A late surge in support for the centre-left opposition closed Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's lead ahead of today's election, but his immigration clampdown and tax cuts still looked like winning him the poll.
"Taking into account the strong economic situation and general feeling of happiness, I can't blame you for thinking you are reporting from an election campaign in a fairytale country," he told correspondents, reminding them it was the 200th anniversary of writer Hans Christian Andersen's birth.
The 52-year-old, who took Denmark into the Iraq war, came to power in 2001 on promises to stop asylum-seekers streaming into Denmark and to cap its marginal tax rates, the highest in the world. He acknowledged that a new Gallup poll yesterday giving his centre-right Liberals 29.9 per cent versus nearly 31 per cent in a survey on Sunday showed it would be "a close race".
Support for the Social Democrats, who had been on course for their worst result in over 30 years, rose to 27 per cent from 25.9 per cent. They warned that tax cuts delivered by Mr Rasmussen would mean massive cutbacks in welfare programmes. "We have finally succeeded in getting a real political debate," said centre-left leader Mogens Lykketoft. "Most Danes with their stomachs, with their brains, with their hearts, support the Social Democratic welfare system."
The late surge, however, is unlikely to lead to an upset defeat for Mr Rasmussen, who with his Conservative partners and parliamentary allies in the anti-immigration Danish People's Party is likely to control 92 of the 179 seats in parliament.
Mr Rasmussen called the elections in January, nine months ahead of the deadline, to capitalise on a thriving economy. Consumer confidence is at a seven-year high, and Danes were rated the happiest people in the world by a recent Dutch survey.
He won his first term two months after the September 11th, 2001, attacks, and has sent 500 Danish troops to southern Iraq.
Most Danes initially backed the war and the opposition fell in line, but now six out of 10 favour withdrawing the soldiers, five of whom were charged with abusing Iraqi prisoners.
Immigrants make up just 2 per cent of the electorate but the Liberals have appealed to concerns about how they can be integrated in a country of just 5.4 million. - (Reuters)