Danish euro polls show contradicting trends

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -- Two fresh opinion polls of Danes' willingness to join the European Union's single currency, the euro, showed contradicting trends on Saturday.

Denmark will hold a referendum on euro membership on September 28 and analysts say the result could affect the euro-dollar exchange rate as well as chances of fellow-outsiders Britain and Sweden eventually signing up.

A Sonar poll of 1,214 people taken from August 16 to 17 and published by the daily Jyllands-Posten put Danish euro supporters ahead of opponents by 45-42 percent, marking a reversal of the trend seen in Sonar surveys recently.

It appeared to confirm a shift in voter sentiment towards a "Yes" seen in two polls by other research institutes published on Friday when both the GfK and the national statistics office saw supporters regaining the lead over opponents.

But a Vilstrup survey of 1,002 voters taken from August 8 to 15 pointed the other way, reported the daily Politiken, which published the poll.

Vilstrup saw the anti-euro "No" camp gaining the upper hand by 41-39 percent. Earlier Vilstrup surveys had indicated a narrow lead for the pro-euro "Yes" side.

Ole Tonsgaard, an associate political science professor at Aarhus University, was quoted as saying that campaigning since the referendum was called in March had so far been but a prelude to the real showdown in September.

Only much closer to the day of the ballot would it be possible for opinion polls to predict the outcome with any degree of accuracy, he said.

As half of the people relied on television for information influencing their vote, the camp that came across better in the final TV debates was likely to win, Tonsgaard said.

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