ASSESSMENTS

In the Netherlands, a Vote Is Commandeered

Apr 7, 2016 | 15:11 GMT

In the Netherlands, a Vote Is Commandeered
Geert Wilders, the leader of Dutch rightwing party Party for Freedom, casts his vote April 6 in a nonbinding referendum on EU cooperation with Ukraine. Despite low turnout, the vote is a testament to growing anti-EU sentiment in the country.

(MARTIJN BEEKMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Summary

Voters in the Netherlands rejected a treaty establishing closer ties between the European Union and Ukraine in a referendum held April 6. While the referendum specifically asked whether the Dutch government should support the EU association agreement with Ukraine, Euroskeptic forces in the country turned it into a vote about the Dutch role in the European Union. The referendum is nonbinding and therefore the Dutch government is not obliged to respect its outcome. Still, the results show the strength of Euroskepticism in one of the founding members of the Continental bloc.

Voters in the Netherlands rejected a treaty establishing closer ties between the European Union and Ukraine in a referendum held April 6. While the referendum specifically asked people whether the Dutch government should support the EU association agreement with Ukraine, Euroskeptic forces in the country turned it into a vote about the Dutch role in the European Union. The referendum is not binding, which means that the Dutch government is not obliged to respect its outcome. Still, the results show the strength of Euroskepticism in one of the founding members of the Continental bloc....

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