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Dutch referendum on EU-Ukraine treaty


Altherion

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I'm not sure how many people remember this, but the most recent Ukrainian revolution began when then-President Yanukovich chose a treaty with Russia over one with the European Union. After he and the rest of the pro-Russian oligarchs were driven from power, the pro-EU oligarchs went back to the EU treaty. Due to the structure of the EU, the treaty must be approved by every nation and it was... with one exception: the Netherlands. Yesterday, the Dutch held a referendum on the treaty and the result was pretty surprising (at least to me):

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Voters in the Netherlands have rejected in a referendum an EU partnership deal to remove trade barriers with Ukraine.

Turnout was low, 32.2%, but above the 30% threshold for the vote to be valid. The deal was rejected by 61.1% of votes, compared with 38.1% in favour.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the government might have to reconsider the deal, although the vote is not binding.

 

Given that the vote was non-binding and the elites are in favor of the deal, they might decide to go ahead regardless of the results -- but of course to do so in the face of defeat by more than a 3:2 margin may cause problems for them down the road. I was wondering if anybody from the Netherlands here has an opinion on the matter or details that might explain this outcome.

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If this wasn't so tragic, it'd be a laughing matter. 

I really hope the entire Ukrainian political elite, pro-Russian and pro-European, is cast into the deepest recesses of Hell. Those puppet morons destroyed their own country because power grabs and endless corruption -- cheered by their respective Big Daddies in West and Russia -- are more important to them than the well-being of their own people. 

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The referendum was initiated by people who are opposed to the EU, and has little to do with the actual subject. And of course it was only a yes/no question on a complicated treaty few people are bothered to examine properly; lacking the yes/no question if anyone actually thought the referendum was a good idea.

With the general tendency of people to complain, be xenophobic, and blame anyone but themselves the no was not unexpected. With the tendency of people to forget that the small minority of the population that voted no and the democratic consensus in the EU that it is a good idea I assume apart from some blustering nothing much will happen. Of course our government is spineless to start with, so I might be disappointed.

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