FINAL RESULT: YES: 38.4% – NO: 61.6%
Turnout much higher than expected: 63%
Polls predicted about – 32%, EU Election 2004 – 39.1%
Turnout Statistics per Province
Referendum Result in 40 Largest Cities – Image to printer
Many Dutch voters determined at the very last minute how they would vote. No voters switched over to the YES camp today. The Netherlands has a responsibility to meet in Europe, as one of its supporters and founding members. The Dutch are also a country oriented outward toward Europe, with few borders for an exporting nation, closely tied to Germany’s economy.
The disappointment to the Dutch, has been the lack of trust by larger countries of the European Union: Germany, France and Italy, who did not keep their promise in the Stability pact. Per capita, the Dutch citizen is the highest contributer to the EU, more than twice the amount of the second nation. Therefore, the special arrangement granted Margareth Thatcher and Great Britain, hurts every citizen in the Netherlands on an everyday basis.
JP Balkenende: Press Conference after Dutch NO vote on EU Charter!
The following motivation of the Dutch NO vote will be made known to colleagues within the EU —
● Netherlands fears loss of its sovereignty
● Expansion of EU has gone too fast
● EU Brussel should not cross national policy
● Democracy of EU parliament should be greater
● Financial sacrifice of EU contribution for Dutch too large.
TODAY’s BREAKING NEWS —
Dutch Government Withdraws Proposal for Ratification of EU Charter to Parliament!
Dutch Parliament would have voted YES with 128 votes and 22 NAYs!
For the latest news, I’ll attempt to keep my eye on the ball, read beyond the fold …
BBC News — Dutch Debate on EU Future!
Chirac & PM Jan Peter Balkenende:
Vote “YES” in referendum on EU Charter, not a vote on domestic issues
YES – Hope for Peace and a united Europe with new EU Constitutional Charter
Don’t vote NO for domestic reasons of present woes
Trouw’s inside section has a massive banner headline in the form of a nicely colour-coded list (green for yes, red for no) with four main arguments on each side:
The green ‘Yes’ section tells us:
● Europe will be simpler
● Europe will be more democratic
● Europe will be fairer
● Europe will have more influence
While the red ‘No’ section says:
● Europe will remain unclear
● Europe will stay expensive
● Europe doesn’t care about individuals
● Europe revolves around the big member states
START of DIARY:
I loved the diaries on the French Vote and EU Charter from Jerôme à Paris, first of all because of his sig name, and secondly love at first sight on my visit, I too fell in love with Paris.
In the Netherlands, the coming three days I will follow local politics more closely than usual, to cover the poltical discussion in the Low Countries, also known as Pays Bas to the French.
Please put forth any question and I’ll provide you an answer.
Across Europe
The Dutch will vote on a non-binding referendum on Wednesday June 1st, have clear support for a YES vote from the largest opposition Labor party PvdA and the Labor Unions. The polls still indicate the NO votes are leading with 58%. The result in France adds a new slogan to the Dutch campaign: “Say NO to the French and YES for the EU Constitution Charter”.
Polls in Poland and Denmark indicate a large majority for the YES vote! Especially surprising for Denmark, as the Danish people had many misgivings about the EU and the single currency of the €uro.
French voters have overwhelmingly rejected the European Union’s proposed constitution in a key referendum.
Almost 55% of people voted “Non”, with 45% in favour, according to final interior ministry figures. The vote could deal a fatal blow to the EU constitution, which needs to be ratified by all 25 member states.
President Jacques Chirac accepted the voters’ “sovereign decision”, but said it created “a difficult context for the defence of our interests in Europe”. Mr Chirac said that “Voters had registered their frustrations, and he would take a decision on the future of his centre-right government in the coming days”, hinting at a possible reshuffle.
NON 55%
Late on Sunday jubilant “Non” supporters gathered at the Place de la Bastille in Paris – where the French Revolution began – chanting “we won” and sounding horns.
Those who rejected the treaty came from across the political spectrum, including Communists, dissident socialists and right-wing parties. One of the leading right-wing opponents of the treaty, Philippe de Villiers, said: “Europe has to be rebuilt. The constitution is no more.” He urged Mr Chirac either to stand down or dissolve parliament.
A Flawed Referendum, Not Democracy
It’s not an issue of democracy, the majority of the French are FOR European integration. The choice of a referendum was a poor one. “Oui” or “Non” for the EU Constitutional Charter is not what the French voted, although the new charter is a vast improvement over the present Nice Agreements and tailored for the EU with its 25 member states.
The political decision of necessity to re-unite Europe after the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, has somehow caught the citizens of Europe by surprise for its ramifications in the economic union. We all like to spend our vacations in those poor countries because of the low cost, including Turkey, but to accept responsibility for a united Europe, everyone suddenly felt the pinch in one’s wallet.
The opposition forces in France, especially the Communists, labor unions and far left socialists, prefer large subsidies by the French government to keep Credit Lyonnais, Renault, Peugeot, Alsthom, Bull from sinking. The agricultural sector have a love for the large EU subsidies to keep the farmers farming the way their dad’s generation were kept a guaranteed income by the state. No thought about the long-term effect for third-world nations who can’t compete with subsidized EU products.
On the opposite political spectrum, the right-wing Le Pen had no problem with his racist views to get 15% of the population to vote “Non”.
ETTORE FERRARI/EPA — Tony Blair believes
the French No vote cannot be revived by a
British Yes in a referendum.
”The constitution is dead”, Blair tells a chastened Chirac. Key points:
Story in full
TONY Blair has started a behind-the-scenes attempt to kill the European Union constitution – defying growing international pressure to carry on with a British referendum.
The Prime Minister is heading for a battle with a series of EU leaders as a result of his insistence that the constitution has perished with France’s No vote on Sunday, and that it cannot be revived by a British Yes.
He is facing angry calls from Greece, Ireland, Spain and Luxembourg to press ahead in the hope that French voters may change their minds in a second vote if the question is phrased differently.
Blair did not want issue of a French NON vote as a distraction for his EU agenda. The Dutch will now surely follow with a “NEE”, both nations are founding members of the EU Six: Germany, France, Italy and the Benelux countries.
Robert Schuman Monument in Brussel
The Dutch Vote June 1 — A Non-binding Referendum
In the Netherlands, the Dutch are voting June 1st for their first referendum ever, the polls have indicated a same large “Nay” vote of nearly 60%. The same poll indicates that 93% of the voters admit they have no idea what the EU Constitutional Charter is about – hail to democracy. It will be a non-binding vote, although an increasing number of parties reluctantly are admitting they cannot ignore the result of the democratic opinion.
Contrary to France, in the Netherlands the parties from Labor (PvdA), Greens (Groen Links), Christian Democrats (CDA) and right-wing Liberals (VVD) all are FOR the new EU Charter and would have an easy two-thirds majority of the deciding vote in parliament. Also a strong voice in support come from all major Dutch Labor unions, as they agree the new charter increases the democratic content of the European Parliament and have more clarity on the social issues of the EU.
The opposition comes from the Socialist Party (SP) of Jan Marijnissen and the far-right Pim Fortuyn Party (LPF). In addition a number of prominent Dutch citizens have voiced their opinion in the media, which spend a lot of time airing criticism on EU affairs, IMHO not in a fair and balanced manner. But in a democracy, that’s all in the game, although I judge the Dutch reporters and journalist being taught from a leftist and socialist view on society.
So have someone please explain the joy of democracy in this vote by referendum, instead of a decision made by our parliamentary representatives hired to do their job!
Dutch Parliament would have voted YES with 128 votes and 22 NAYs!
Fine links for Dutch News …
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Oui – Liberté – Egalité – Fraternité
