Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has called a February 8th general election to capitalise on favourable polls for his centre-right Liberal party.
"I have recommended to the queen that the election will be held on February 8th," he told parliament. The announcement came nine months ahead of a November deadline.
Mr Rasmussen said he wanted to hold the vote before a controversial reform of local authorities, due to be completed by June, and to avoid a clash with local elections on November 15th.
"February 8th is the most practical time and the only option to hold the election before the extensive work on the structural reform of municipalities which is to be finished before the summer holidays," he added.
Opinion polls show the likely re-election of Mr Rasmussen, whose coalition with the Conservatives took office in November 2001 after campaigning for tougher immigration laws and a ceiling on tax increases.
A Gallup poll published today gave his party 31.5 per cent and another by pollsters Catinet gave them 31.8 per cent, both lower than many recent surveys.
In 2001, the party won 31.3 per cent of the vote.