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| Europe |
| Dutch vote on Europe constitution |
| 2005-06-01 |
| EFL: People in the Netherlands are voting on the European Union constitution, just three days after a "No" vote plunged France into crisis. Early reports suggest voting has been brisk so far among the country's 11.6 million voters. The Dutch prime minister appealed to the nation to back the treaty but polls predict 60% of voters will oppose it. Many who intend to vote "No" share their European neighbour's fears about EU expansion and a loss of identity. The result is non-binding, but PM Jan Peter Balkenende has agreed to abide by it. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #18 Too much work, Mrs. D. They'll bypass the referenda and work with the parliaments until they have "representation of over 50% of the European population" and declare it accepted. |
| Posted by: too true 2005-06-01 19:44 |
| #17 The EU has concluded that the reason for the rejection is that the |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-06-01 18:55 |
| #16 So what happens next? Long columns of dusty EUrocrats fleeing Brussels to seek employment in the private sector? |
| Posted by: Matt 2005-06-01 17:36 |
| #15 From a live blogging. Hat tip Michelle Malkin. Coincidental or not, the European Commission TODAY put some pressure on the Dutch government to scrap one of the country's holiest cows: the deductability of interest paid on home mortgages. If the Dutch voter needed some further confirmation as to how the Brussels bureaucracy might adversely impact the cherished Dutch way of life then this is surely it.--http://www.peaktalk.com/archives/001344.php |
| Posted by: SwissTex 2005-06-01 17:08 |
| #14 Ohh, some tidbits in the comment section of EU Referendum, where's Aris when you need him? Hew_BG: normally the Gov of Gibraltar is consulted - by the UK Gov - on EU stuff that affects them, but unless they have an exemption (negotiated by the UK Gov on their behalf) there is not much they can do about it. Elaib: plenty of like-minded fellows in the EU Institutions. It is by no means a closed house. I was recently at a meeting of Greek Socialists who work in the EU Institutions with the former Commissioner Diamandopoulou. When she argued that her Party (the main opposition in Greece) wanted a referendum but also a "Yes" vote - you should have heard the hostility in the Question and Answer session! Something must really be rotten in the state of … when the leadership can't even get Greek Socialist bureaucrats on board for a 'Yes'. Nick, I have spotted similar shafts of light peaking out all over and in the wierdest places. The institutions may be monoliths, but within them some of the drones still think and breath (and, like me, get paid quite well). |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2005-06-01 16:38 |
| #13 63% No and 63% turnout?! Wow indeed. This is beginning to get a little scary. The margin should be a lot closer. The huge gap indicates that the EU has very little legitimacy, which means that Dutch politics, and probably French and Belgian, maybe Austrian politics as well, are going to get a lot more extremist in a hurry. Note the very close harmonization, to use an EU word, between the views of the virulently anti-foreigner French right and the virulently anti-Turk and anti-Polish French left. Red-brown Xenophobic Alliance next? |
| Posted by: thibaud (aka lex) 2005-06-01 15:34 |
| #12 More Info |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-06-01 15:21 |
| #11 |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-06-01 15:20 |
| #10 http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/currentaffairs/region/netherlands/ned050601b?view=Standard More info... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-06-01 15:20 |
| #9 Radio Netherlands Website Breaking news: Dutch reject EU constitution Exit polls indicate the Dutch electorate has overwhelmingly rejected the EU constitution in today's referendum: 63 percent voted against the document with 37 percent voting for it. The turnout was 62 percent. -------------------------------------------------- Those Dutch are, "Mad as hell and they're not gonna take it anymore!" Heh heh heh |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-06-01 15:18 |
| #8 63% NEE..... wow |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-06-01 14:58 |
| #7 I think they are all guaranteed at least two shrubberies, actually, so they can go for that "bi-level" effect. |
| Posted by: docob 2005-06-01 14:18 |
| #6 So if I've got this straight, if more than 30% of the Dutch vote "No", they each get a shrubbery? Or is it the other way 'round? |
| Posted by: Matt 2005-06-01 14:14 |
| #5 Argh! It's the Knights Who Say Nee! |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2005-06-01 13:55 |
| #4 Should come to 58% Nee |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-06-01 13:52 |
| #3 THE HAGUE (AFX) - Turnout in the Netherlands' referendum on the European constitution soared to 31 pct by 4.00 pm (1400 GMT) today, according to polling firm Interview-NSS. The 30-pct threshold is the level above which the main political parties said they would listen to the decision by the Dutch to approve or -- far more likely -- turn down the constitutional treaty. The Dutch referendum is not binding but a majority of the parliament has promised to follow the will of the people when the treaty comes up for parliamentary ratification. The turnout calculated at 4.00 pm by Interview-NSS based on counts at 23 voting stations was 10 percentage points higher than at the same time during the European elections last year. Pollsters have predicted that between 45-50 pct of eligible voters would turn out in the Dutch referendum, compared to 39.1 pct in the European parliament vote. |
| Posted by: Steve 2005-06-01 13:02 |
| #2 From Expatica: AMSTERDAM — Voter turnout for the Dutch referendum on the EU Constitution was at 24 percent by 2pm on Wednesday, 9 percent more than the European Parliament (EP) elections last year. The high turnout figure was compiled by research bureau Interview/NSS at 23 polling booths. The voter turnout rate for the elections last year was 39.1 percent. Should make that 30% easily. Utrecht City Council said a "considerable turnout" is expected for the referendum, which could determine the fate of the EU treaty. Based on a random test, it estimated turnout will be higher than the EP elections. However, voters were also casting their ballots in two referendums in Utrecht on Wednesday: firstly for or against the EU constitution and a proposal to increase the number of Sundays shops are allowed to open. The turnout for the referendum over the constitution in The Hague was estimated at 23.67 percent at 2pm, compared with 14.74 percent at the EP elections last year, the city council said. In the Dutch capital Amsterdam, the turnout figure was 18 percent at midday, double the amount of voters who had shown up at the same time last year. Polling booths will be open until 9pm, when the first exit polls are expected. Pre-referendum polls have indicated a majority of Dutch voters will reject the constitution. |
| Posted by: Steve 2005-06-01 12:46 |
| #1 He's agreed to abide by it IF turnout is at least 30% and the "no" vote tops 55%. Sort of like cloture, I guess |
| Posted by: VAMark 2005-06-01 10:52 |