1st LD: Danish PM calls for parliamentary election on June 18

Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt on Wednesday announced parliamentary elections for June 18.

"The choice is clear. The time is right. Now it is up to the Danes...The election for parliament will be held on June 18," Thorning-Schmidt said at a press conference.

The Danish people must answer two main questions at the next general election, the prime minister said.

"Firstly, how do we ensure that Denmark continues the progress and prosperity without putting our welfare and community at risk. Secondly, who should be the prime minister of Denmark," she said.

The election call comes after the Danish government on Tuesday presented a 39-billion-Danish-kroner (5.71-billion-U.S.-dollar) welfare package and introduced the publication of the government's latest economic survey, which shows the Danish economy is recovering.

Thorning-Schmidt said Denmark still needs reforms and must continue to invest in welfare, while the opposition pledged to freeze public sector growth.

Although Thorning-Schmidt has seen her personal popularity rising steadily, the latest Megafon poll showed that the opposition parties, led by Lars Loekke Rasmussen, stand to receive 52 percent of the vote, while the governing coalition trails with 48 percent.

Political analysts believed the immigration policies, the size of the public sector, health and unemployment benefits are expected to dominate the upcoming election campaigns. Endi