Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's Liberal party said on Tuesday a general election would be held on Feb. 8, nine months ahead of a November deadline. "The Liberal party hereby invites to a news conference at 1400 (local time), at which Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen will present the party's election programme ahead of the election on Feb. 8," the Liberals said in a statement. Rasmussen, whose center-right coalition is ahead in polls, is expected to announce the vote to parliament at 1200 GMT. Denmark has been a steadfast ally of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and has 525 troops in the country. A change of government would be unlikely to lead to their early withdrawal. Denmark is a member of the European Union but not of its single currency, the euro.
