Denmak will vote on joining the euro in 2004.

[Olivier]

Read on EUObserver: http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=19&aid=12810

Denmark is set to hold a "super referendum" on the two contentious issues of the European Constitution and the euro, according to a Danish government official interviewed by Reuters.

Officially, the Danish position is that it is undecided on whether to hold seperate referendums on the euro and the Constitution or whether to bundle them together.

(...)

However, there is now greater support for joining the single currency, with polls putting support for the euro as high as 60 percent.

This support has fallen away slightly after Sweden voted overwhelmingly to reject the euro on 14 September this year. The latest polls indicate a margin of 52-39 in favour of a 'yes' vote on the euro.

If Denmark were to vote to join the single currency, notes and coins could be in Danish pockets by as early as 2006.



* * *

Will they vote yes just a few months after the swedish No?

[malu]

Read on EUObserver: http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=19&aid=12810

Denmark is set to hold a "super referendum" on the two contentious issues of the European Constitution and the euro, according to a Danish government official interviewed by Reuters.

Officially, the Danish position is that it is undecided on whether to hold seperate referendums on the euro and the Constitution or whether to bundle them together.

(...)

However, there is now greater support for joining the single currency, with polls putting support for the euro as high as 60 percent.

This support has fallen away slightly after Sweden voted overwhelmingly to reject the euro on 14 September this year. The latest polls indicate a margin of 52-39 in favour of a 'yes' vote on the euro.

If Denmark were to vote to join the single currency, notes and coins could be in Danish pockets by as early as 2006.



* * *

Will they vote yes just a few months after the swedish No?

I hope Denmark joins and soon also Great Britain...

[Annie_in_exile]

I hope Denmark joins and soon also Great Britain...

Yeah, dream on, I'd say about Great Britain. The more I visit the island, the more convinced I become that they'll never join.

[!Pretfles!]

they will change
give them some time

[Tiger]

I hope Denmark joins and soon also Great Britain...

Yeah, dream on, I'd say about Great Britain. The more I visit the island, the more convinced I become that they'll never join.

Indeed, they are soooo conservative!
They never speak about being European, but always about the UK.
Europe is something far from their bed. I don't think they see themselve as a 'real' member of Europe.

[querty]

If Denmark were to vote to join the single currency, notes and coins could be in Danish pockets by as early as 2006.

Let's say that they will say yes, do we have to use the Danish Crown in Denmark until 2006? Can't it be possible to use the Euro's we have in Denmark in the meantime? If they say yes I think they can change directly. We have the coins and the bills. In the meantime they can print.

[esperantisto]

I think denmark will do this. Their currency is already almost at a constant exchange rate w/ the euro and they take euros all over.

[avij]

Can't it be possible to use the Euro's we have in Denmark in the meantime?

Making the notes and coins is the easy part. Fixing all the computer software to accept two currencies is a different thing though.

I've been involved in making such changes to a largish software project and it took about half a year for our whole company to fix the program so that Euro and our old markka would coexist nicely in all places. Handling the transition period was particularly tricky. The software does various things (such as point-of-sale functions, inventory, billing and so on) in addition to the primary purpose of the software. In addition to all this, the rounding rules changed and they had to be fixed as well, adding to the mess. Actually we had to support both rounding styles for a while due to the transition period. Obviously nobody had dared to think that we'd have some other currency than markka some 10 years ago when most of the design choices were made. I'd guess the situation in Denmark and other countries is better in this regard, if they've been smart they've added € capability to their programs already.

Ultimately our software did handle the euro conversion pretty well, no significant bugs were found afterwards. Well, apart from the fact that there was a minor bug in the portion of the program that does credit/debit card transfers to the bank, it forgot to turn on the "euro currency" bit and as a result some customers were charged 5.94573 times the amount they should have been charged We have quite a lot of customers and their net sales are relatively big, so during the one day when the software worked incorrectly I'd estimate there were about 150000€ worth of payments that were charged as 0.9M€. Well, shit happens and the software was fixed immediately and the rectifying transactions were made the following day.

But, my point was that they do need some time to prepare for the euro, having the cash in hand isn't nearly everything.

[Olivier]

But, my point was that they do need some time to prepare for the euro, having the cash in hand isn't nearly everything.

I agree. Let's remember all the changes for the ATM, the automatic machines (for food, coffee machines, to pay the car park...). These machines must be all changed! It takes some time!

[querty]

But, my point was that they do need some time to prepare for the euro, having the cash in hand isn't nearly everything.

I agree. Let's remember all the changes for the ATM, the automatic machines (for food, coffee machines, to pay the car park...). These machines must be all changed! It takes some time!

Yes it will take some time, but the Danish government can hold a referendum about the Euro on the day the European elections are hold in 2004. So if the Danish will say yes the government can decide whether they are going to use the Euro a half year later when the year 2005 will start. In the meanwhile the Danish can preparate themselves on the Euro. And in 2006 they can introduce their own notes.

[Olivier]

So if the Danish will say yes the government can decide whether they are going to use the Euro a half year later when the year 2005 will start. In the meanwhile the Danish can preparate themselves on the Euro. And in 2006 they can introduce their own notes.

It means they will start using the euro with "foreign" notes?
Are there enough coins and bills in the BCE reserves to deliver in a whole country?

[Aaron]

So if the Danish will say yes the government can decide whether they are going to use the Euro a half year later when the year 2005 will start. In the meanwhile the Danish can preparate themselves on the Euro. And in 2006 they can introduce their own notes.

It means they will start using the euro with "foreign" notes?
Are there enough coins and bills in the BCE reserves to deliver in a whole country?

I think it's not necessary for Denmark to print and mint a huge amount of money in a short time. They can order some of the notes and coins from foreign mints and prints. Also Greece did that. As Avij mentioned before, the other changes will take more time meanwhile getting enough of cash during a short time will not be a problem.

[Ning]

Frankly, I have doubt about Danemark joining Euro. I think they will vote no like in Sweden because they feel close to Sweden (Scandinavia) and the UK and they are very conservative. It's one of the only European Country (with UK) where I saw national flag in the gardens (before that travel to Danemark, I though you could only see this kind of thing in the USA). They really hate Germany (and France).
Anyway that gave me the idea to put an european union flag in my garden

About UK, I think (but I'm not sure) they feel superior to the other european countries because their language is spoken world-wide. (just read their newspaper like the Sun. I have never seen such anti-european papers in the other EU countries). Maybe they think we learn their language because we dream to live in the UK ? Another strange thing I saw about UK : they seem to give up Union jack flag and they prefere england, scottland flag. Maybe they just hate unions lol. Or maybe they are not open minded enough because most of them don't speak any foreign language and can't read other european newspapers ? I need clarification

Anyway, it will change nothing for us wether Danmark or UK join or not. Only for the travels but nothing in our daily life.

[Aaron]

Frankly, I have doubt about Danemark joining Euro. I think they will vote no like in Sweden because they feel close to Sweden (Scandinavia) and the UK and they are very conservative.

I think Danish are not conservative, neither are Swedish. I think the main reason why the majority of Swedish wanted to stay out of EMU is their national character of avoiding risks. I think Dansis are a bit alike in this.

It's one of the only European Country (with UK) where I saw national flag in the gardens (before that travel to Danemark, I though you could only see this kind of thing in the USA). They really hate Germany (and France).
Anyway that gave me the idea to put an european union flag in my garden

Using the flag everywhere doesn't necessarily mean that Danish are such right-wing militaristic nationalists as a huge part of Americans. You can see the national flag everywhere in Hungary too. I think these European nations are just 'positively' proud of their roots.

I think the Danish people's 'hate' against Germans originates from the arrogant behaviour of some German tourists. And French, hmm, they aren't usually any less arrogant.

About UK, I think (but I'm not sure) they feel superior to the other european countries because their language is spoken world-wide. (just read their newspaper like the Sun. I have never seen such anti-european papers in the other EU countries). Maybe they think we learn their language because we dream to live in the UK ? Another strange thing I saw about UK : they seem to give up Union jack flag and they prefere england, scottland flag. Maybe they just hate unions lol. Or maybe they are not open minded enough because most of them don't speak any foreign language and can't read other european newspapers ? I need clarification

They have traditionally felt they are different than the continental Europeans. The country has missed a radical change in its history; just compare to any other country of Europe (the French revolution 1789, Spanish civil war, changes of the system for several times in Germany...). The old feudal culture has never been really destroyed. The country has never really thrown off the shackles of its history. They probably feel superior because of their 'great' history when they dominated and robbed other nations worldwide.

Anyway, it will change nothing for us wether Danmark or UK join or not. Only for the travels but nothing in our daily life.

I agree. I think the Sterling doesn't have a significant meaning nowadays. I could be also wrong.

[androl]

Anyway, it will change nothing for us wether Danmark or UK join or not. Only for the travels but nothing in our daily life.

Yes, we will have their Queens on the coins