Denmark to vote in close election

Denmark goes to the polls on Thursday in a general election which opinion polls suggest is on a knife edge.

The centre-left coalition of PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt, and the centre-right opposition led by ex-PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen, appear to be neck and neck.

But the pollsters have only canvassed the Danish mainland - and voters in Greenland and the Faroe Islands may decide the vote.

Minor issues like a Faroes fishing dispute could influence the result.

The islands' fishing community is still angry at Ms Thorning-Schmidt for barring its boats from Danish ports in a 2013 dispute over alleged overfishing.

But in reality it is the economy, rather than mackerel quotas, that tends to swing elections, and Ms Thorning-Schmidt's Social Democrat party has staged a remarkable comeback in recent weeks as Danish finances improve.

Welfare and immigration are exercising Danish voters even more than the economy, with anger at perceived benefit tourism leading the traditionally pro-immigration Social Democrats to launch an advertising campaign with the slogan: "If you come to Denmark you should work."

Mr Rasmussen, who led the country between 2009 and 2011, has suggested that benefits are so high that there is barely any incentive for Danes or immigrants to work.

null — Incumbent Helle Thorning-Schmidt staged a remarkable comeback in the polls

Denmark election: Close race for the status quo

With just hours left before the polls opened, the two would-be leaders were set to go head-to-head on these and other issues in a final televised debate.

A poll released on Tuesday put the centre-left bloc - the Social Democrats and their four coalition partners - on 50.1% and the centre-right bloc led by Mr Rasmussen on 49.9%.

Either one of Ms Thorning-Schmidt's and Mr Rasmussen's parties could win the most seats, only to find themselves the loser if the other can muster a larger coalition.

Polling suggests that Danes are looking outside of the two main parties for alternatives.

One of them, called the Alternative, is a green party that has the potential to tip the balance in the favour of the centre-left coalition.

On the other side, the Liberal Alliance is drawing young libertarians away from the centre-right.