Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen says elections to renew Denmark's 179-seat parliament will be held June 5 as his three-party governing coalition appears to be behind in opinion polls.

Recent polls show the center-right government bloc, which includes the anti-immigration Danish People's Party, is trailing behind the five-party, center-left opposition headed by the Social Democrats.

Under Denmark's Constitution, a vote must be held by June 17, when the current Parliament, elected in 2015, completes its term.

Loekke Rasmussen, who heads the Liberals, has been in power since 2015. In November 2016 he formed a coalition with the smaller Liberal-Alliance and the Conservatives, but it still depends on the populist Danish People's Party to muster a majority.

The current government has notably adopted laws tightening asylum and immigration rules.