Dutch voters opposed a trade deal between the EU and Ukraine by a margin of nearly two-to-one, in a result that could trigger ructions in Brussels and boost those in the UK campaigning for Britain to leave the bloc.
Turnout was 32%, just above the minimum threshold of 30% for the referendum to be acceptable to parliament and taken into account by the Netherlands’ Dutch government.
Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, who had offered cautious and last-minute support for the deal, conceded that the Netherlands would not be able to automatically ratify the trade deal, potentially paving the way for months of tortuous negotiations with Brussels over a new pact.
The EU agreement deepens economic and political ties with the former Soviet republic and has already been ratified by the EU’s 27 other member states. It was at the heart of Ukraine’s political crisis in 2014, prompting violent clashes and the ouster of former President Viktor Yanukovych.
Around 61% of voters rejected the EU’s association-agreement with Ukraine while 38% of voters supported the pact, according to provisional results released by public broadcaster NOS.
“It’s clear that ‘No’ have won by an overwhelming margin, the question is only if turnout is sufficient,” Rutte stated. “If the turnout is above 30 percent with such a large margin of victory for the ‘No’ camp then my sense is that ratification can’t simply go ahead.”
The full official count will be published on Tuesday 12 /4.
Although Rutte promised that a valid “no” vote would not go ignored, he said that the government would take its time in deciding exactly how to respond to the public’s opinion.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry announced that it is examining the results of the referendum, but pointed out that it was a non-binding expression of public opinion and that it will wait for the Netherlands’ final decision on ratification of the EU-Ukraine deal.
“We are counting on the decision to be in the interests of Ukraine, the Netherlands and Europe,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariana Betsa stated.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian opposition said that the results of the referendum represent disappointment with the Ukrainian government.
“This is like a cold shower for the Ukrainian politicians who believe that loud shouting and wild hopping is more important than efficient work,” Aleksander Vilkul, a leader of the Opposition Bloc Party, said. “This is an assessment to those who think that no one will notice excessive corruption.”
The referendum was triggered by a petition launched by a group of activists last year that collected more than 450,000 signatures, much higher the 300,000 required by Dutch law to force the government to put issues to a public vote.
Although the referendum is non-binding, it will be considered as an official advisory to the government from the Dutch people should the turnout reach above the 30 percent mark, meaning that at least 3.7 million voters will have officially expressed their opinion.
Sources: RT, FT, WSJ
