Yes or no? Danes divided

By Paul Sussman, CNN.com writer

ÅLBORG, Denmark (CNN) -- Farmer Tomas Anderssen has fists the size of hams, and when he bangs them on the table the whole room seems to vibrate.

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"No, no, no," bellows the 48-year-old, his moustache bristling angrily. "We must not join the euro. It will be a disaster for this country. The rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer. I wouldn't vote yes if my life depended on it!"

His passion is shared by Heide Helledie, 22, a sales trainee from Ålborg. In her case, however, it is the idea of voting no that horrifies her.

Sales trainee Heidi Helledie, 22, intends to vote "yes"

"I'm going to vote yes, for sure," she says. "It is my future that is on the line here, and the future of my children. It is crucial that we go into the euro now. If we vote no there won't be another chance."

All across Denmark, from Skagen in the far north to Tønder on the German border, from the bustling streets of Copenhagen to the windswept islands of Anholt and Endelave, the euro referendum is the talk of the town.

Not everyone, admittedly, is as vociferous in their opinions as Anderssen and Helledie. Many, like Dorte Hinsen, 52, a councillor from Tønder, remain undecided.

"I am leaning towards a yes but I am still not sure. I feel European, and like the idea of a European Union. My concern is that too many decisions in Europe are taken behind closed doors. The bureaucrats aren't properly accountable."

Others have made up their minds, but don't feel comfortable with their decisions. Artist Jen Milver, for instance, will be voting yes, but with great reluctance.

"It's been a very hard decision to make," he admits. "Ultimately, it is the lesser of two evils. You'll get your teeth kicked whether you join the euro or not. The difference is that, being in the single currency, you might get them kicked a bit less."

Many simply do not understand the issues involved.

Christina Johannssen, 25, and Signa Neilsen, 21, both say they'll vote "no"

"It is too complex for normal people," says Christina Johannssen, 25, a beautician from the coastal town of Næstved. "It is like the ones who know a lot about it, the politicians, are all talking to each other rather than to people like me."

Whether well- or ill-informed, however, decided or undecided, seemingly everyone in Denmark has something to say on the subject.

Travelling around the country in the run-up to the September 28 vote, you encounter a multitude of opinions.

A country divided

This near-universal engagement in the euro debate is one of the most remarkable aspects of the Danish referendum. Another is the way the debate has cut across boundaries of age, sex, background and class.

A "no" campaigner takes her message onto the streets of Aalborg

It has been suggested, for instance, that most young people will vote in favour of joining the euro, and most old people against.

"There is a definite difference between the old and the young," says administration student Kasper Hansen, 25, who will be voting yes. "The young people tend to be looking towards the future, whereas the old ones want to stay with the past."

But the division is not clear-cut. School teacher Signe Neilsen, for instance, will be voting no on September 28, as will all her friends.

"I am scared of things being less good if we join the euro," says Neilsen, 21. "The country works well as it is now with our hospitals and schools and pension system. I am worried that the euro will change all that."

Peir Weinreich, 23, a sergeant in the Danish cavalry, agrees: "I will vote no because I am against the whole idea of European union. Denmark is a rich country. If we join the euro we will end up subsidising lots of poor countries. It is not in our interests."

A poster for the Centre Democratic Party reads: "We love Denmark, therefore we vote yes"

Conversely, while there are plenty of older people who will be voting no, there is a large constituency of the over 65s who are enthusiastic about embracing the euro.

People like Kirsten Petersen, 71, who will be voting yes because "it is not good for Denmark to stand all on her own." And Jens and Dagomar Hansen, 73 and 71 respectively, who have lived their whole lives on the Danish-German border and believe that "we are a little country, and need to be close to the rest of Europe to survive."

Such divisions are evident throughout Danish society. There are no "block votes" in the sense of a particular demographic group being exclusively for or against the euro. Even within the farming community, where anti-euro sentiment is particularly strong, you will find plenty of people who will be voting yes.

"I am definitely a yes voter," says Troels Larsen, 36, who runs a dairy farm. "We need to be part of a larger Europe. We might lose some sovereignty by joining the euro, but the bad points will easily be outweighed by the benefits."