The Brexit debate isn’t the only referendum causing the EU headaches right now. On 6 April 2016, the Netherlands is voting on whether or not to ratify a trade and cooperation pact with Ukraine. The deal was signed in 2014, but needs the unanimous agreement of EU states before it can be ratified and enter into force.
Polls suggest that the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine will be rejected, but what would a “Nee” vote actually mean? The referendum vote is purely advisory, and will anyway be invalid if the turnout is less than 30%. However, it will be difficult for the Dutch government to wriggle out of it if enough people make it to the ballot box to register their discontent.
What happens next is a bit murky. Repealing the Association Agreement outright also requires the unanimous agreement of EU states, which is unlikely to happen. Pending its full entry into force, parts of the agreement (up to 70%) have already been applied provisionally, and this arrangement would continue. But could such a fudge continue indefinitely? Or would it give critics of the EU’s democratic legitimacy even more ammunition?
The Dutch Government has been campaigning in favour of the Agreement, with Prime Minister Mark Rutte arguing that it shouldn’t be seen as the first step to Ukrainian membership of the EU. Polling indicates that most Dutch voters have no idea what is actually in the trade agreement, and when they are informed about the substance of the deal they tend to favour it. However, the vote has become about more than just the Agreement itself.
The EU Association Agreement with Ukraine is a dry, legal document – but it was the same dry, legal document that provoked a revolution in Ukraine. Campaigners in favour of rejecting the deal hope that the vote will provide kindling for another (less violent) upset, eventually leading to the Netherlands pulling out of the European Union. They argue that the Association Agreement is just one example among many demonstrating how undemocratic the EU has become.
Should EU countries ratify the Association Agreement with Ukraine? How should the Dutch vote in today’s referendum on the EU-Ukraine trade deal? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below, and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!
IMAGE CREDITS: CC / Flickr – Ivan Bandura
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To our Dutch friends, Vote ‘NO’ today & put another nail in the coffin of the antidemocratic EU
Take back your democracy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIg9VaMBi9o
Agree.
Do the Dutch really like Putin? How has this been presented to the Dutch? What do they think they can gain by voting no? What’s the point of asking for a yes or no vote if there are no real alternative proposals? Is the idea of letting Ukraine join the EU an attempt to weaken Putin’s influence or is it to further enlarge the EU with cultures that may turn against it (like the Poles and Hungarians)? What are the pros and cons in the long run? Whats been said by anyone so far?
Putin don’t care at all what Dutch vote, Russia is going very well economically and Putin politically
https://www.occrp.org/en/panamapapers/ukraine-poroshenko-offshore/
It’s got nothing to do with any of us really, has it? It’s up to the Dutch.
well it is, it is just that the Dutch are allowed a referendum, and everyone else isn’t. I say ‘no’ vote no. The Ukraine is massive not very democratic, and needs a lot more work before it can come into the EU. It is large, and we will all pay the price in dealing with the influx. The rapid expansion into the East is still producing a fall out. Massive prejudice, and yet now we are beginning to see more integration within the Western European communities where people have settled. Bucharest is vibrant, Romanians feel less strange and much more at home, for example. Let’s consolidate what we have before opening up to a huge country that is simply so disparate that it will be a demographic disaster. This is about cheap labour, not about proper, well thought out expansion and eventual integration.
The move pro Ukranie is a move against Russia…please, do not play with fire.
Actual ukraine post-coup nazi infiltrated regime does not deserve anything from European people
Whenever we are talking about Ukraine, we should take into consideration the following: Historically, Ukraine was one of the countries that collaborated from the very beggining with the Axis , with their notorious Ukrainian S / S brigades as well as the Croatian, the Romanian, Hungarian etc. Nowdays, Ukraine is the favourite kid of Germany and an american protectorate next to Russia. Furthermore, Dutch people know very well that the Malaysian Flight M – 017 was downed by the Ukrainians.
For the moment Ukraine is not ready to join the EU now.
That is up to Dutch.
I mean, asking what other nations should vote for….
it does not matter what they vote, its what Angela decides.
That is up to Dutch.
I mean, asking what other nations should vote for….
it does not matter what they vote, its what Angela decides.
Ichiko Elizabeth
The Dutch should vote however their conscience tells them. And more importantly, we should respect their decision.
There is no effing Europe as a geopolitical entity. It’s only a geographical area of 52 different languages inhabited by people who continuously slaughter each other and they never forget.
As a Dutch person I hope Holland votes NO and we can finally start the proces of leaving the EU.We will drop the €uro and leave United States of Europe!
Firstly we should explain to ukrainian people reality and don’t play with the european dream that doesn’t exist anymore. (you can ask to greeks). Boicot to antidemocratic and failed idea of European Union. What is the message? Is just that we* aren’t worse than Putin?…
Would you like a debt overcharged country, at civil war against its own eastern peoples, with neo nazis at his head, in the EU ? NO.
No
Facciamo un referendum contro l’Europa
no
This referendum will have no effect on opening talks with Ukraine for future EU membership. It us Ukraine right to be a member. I sounder would the Dutch hold a referendum on staying a member of NATO?
Nee
They should vote “no”. Ukrain is no part of the EU and will not be. To corrupt and Ukrain isn’t worth a trade war with Russia.
Don’t worry about our friends the Dutch.They are brave and honourable and loyal.You cross them at your peril.
Sadly referenda are usually hijacked, and have very little to do with democracy. The Ukraine is of little interest to those who have forced the referendum, their only intent to to screw a decision taken by democratically elected heads of state in the EU. We have democratically elected governments to make decisions for us, calling for a referendum because we disagree is antidemocratic. I know the politicians are often fairly pathetic, but you get what you vote for. Vote at the elections, and vote wisely! If we go down the path of referendums it will be the equivalent of giving the prat at the end of the bar on his 10th pint the power to press the red button.
nous avons appris a vous connaitre !! une fois ,mais pas deux .
The result should be a big NO! No deal with Ukraine!!
YES YES!!! We need more Nazis in Europe!! Does anyone know the result………..Ole’!
If the turn down actual Europeans and do nothing about the foreign invasion, I say to he’ll with them.
Of course they should vote in favour, unless they are afraid of Russia … ;-)
Stupid Dutch show discontent towards Brussels and screw Ukraine, a country which sits uncomfortably between Europe and an aggressive Russia, and which is desparate for closer relations with the former, threatened by the latter.
Reminds me of similar stupid referendums against a European constitution. Had a Constitution been in force, Brussels would not have been such a strong beaurocratic centre, working with such disregard for the people’s wishes
We in Britain will vote to come out. Who are we to give your Country advice.?
Antonios Forlidas your country played the role of anti-Slav/anti-Russia breakwater in late 19th C, and anti-communist/anti-Slav/anti-Russia breakwater again in the middle of the 20th C. It has been supported materially, militarily and financially exactly to stop the Slavs (and Russians) from reaching the warm waters of the Med. So why complain about other countries which are doing (in your view) what you ve been doing all along
Antonios Forlidas your country played the role of anti-Slav/anti-Russia breakwater in late 19th C, and anti-communist/anti-Slav/anti-Russia breakwater again in the middle of the 20th C. It has been supported materially, militarily and financially exactly to stop the Slavs (and Russians) from reaching the warm waters of the Med. So why complain about other countries which are doing (in your view) what you ve been doing all along
mi sembra di aver sentito che il referendum dell’Inghilterra non è sull’uscita dalla UE ma per rimanere.. Ne sentivo parlare ieri mattina da un gruppo di lavoro al Parlamento europeo. C’è qualcuno che possa spiegarci di cosa si tratta il referendum inglese e su cosa esattamente sono chiamati ad esprimersi gli inglesi ?
Russia should join the EU. It is a White, Christian, European Country. The largest in the World.
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2016/04/dutch-reject-the-eu-treaty-with-ukraine-in-referendum/
Yes, a trade agreement with the Ukraine and further ties to the EU could bring peace to that region.
A no vote only pushes them towards Russia.
Furthermore the result of the referendum are not binding and are actually undemocratic
Since not all states held the referendum and they are going against elected democratic individuals.
Still the uneducated, fear mongering anti-unionists persist. The dreams of are fore fathers will be realised.
United in our diversity we stand!
gli olandesi non sono quelli che tramite referundum bocciarono la Costituzione europea ? Eppure se la sono ritrovata . Cambiato nome, chiamata non più Costituzione europea ma Trattato di Lisbona , che è identico ma è passato senza il consenso popolare . Quanto contano i referendum ?
Dear mr or mrs Jones,
Many thanks for Your opinion about my country fellowmen and the referendum.
I `ll pass Your offensive insulting remarks about the referendum starters, which include lawmen as mr Thierry Baudet.
You claim our referendum was not legal.
You`re wrong, it is, we have a referendum law, unfortunatly only advising.
Since this topic is about referenda and Your post is about democracy, here some fact about Your precious EU, referenda an democracy.
2005: All EU citizens should vote.
After the NO in France and my country, the other member states CANCELLED their referenda.
Is that democracy for You? Not for me.
Our MP Balkenende promised a second referendum. But since the EU had already changed route, new name for the subject and every EU politician signed it in record time.
So Dutch MP Balkenende was quickly to break his promise and refused the second referendum in September 2007.
Nice example of democracy in Your precious EU.
Statement of the JA voters was, that barely any voters knew anything about the treaty
A Dutch TV station reporter asked some questions about the treaty to our MP Mark Rutte, and he had to admit he didn`t knew.
As usual he laughed his problems away.
Mr or Mrs Jones, Your idea`s about the EU and democracy ain`t mine ideas.
I`ll respect Your point of view, please do the same with ours.
I didn’t say illegal I said undemocratic. The Netherlands in one state out of 28. You cannot expect to decide for everyone.
The reason why referendums do not matter is that people elect MEP’s democraticly. They decide for the people that elected them.
As always, you who oppose progress of the EU are nationalistic and unforgiving, the Ukraine needs are help economicly and as a part of Europe we should help.
@GNK Jones
I appologize for not quoting You correctly..
I agree that we elect MEP democraticly.
But these guys and women often change their points of views far to much as soon as they are (re) elected.
That`s the problem, why the Dutch said yes to the referendum, from which our Dutch gouvernment tought easily the voters would agree.
But we didn`t.
I don`t see any progress in Europe since the EC changed in the EU.
Check the unemployment numbers, check how many member states have financial trouble.
About the Ukrains.
Yes, the people of Ukrain should be helped.
But from the 117 million euro`s aid Kiev has received 2014-2016 Poroshenko hasn`t been able to explain how it was spend.
Why hasn`t he Dutch gouvernment / EU done anything about the taxadress of Poroshenko in the Netherlands? How is it possible Poroshenko apears in the Panama Papers.
As long as the Ukrains have people like Poroshenko in command, any aid will end up in the wrong pockets.
We don`t need a second Greece situation in Europe.
I would appriciate Your reply
Western Democracy is the development of a nation is in this context that support judicial activism Congratulations Netherlands
http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/659825/Dutch-referendum-EU-Brussels-Ukraine-deal-visa-free-travel-Rutte-Brexit
It’s shocking to think that a nation’s democratic decision can be ignored by the tyranny of the majority. Is the EU acting in it’s nation states interest? I suspect most nation states vote in the same way if they were given a similar referendum choice.
The EU,should NOT ‘help’ UKRAINE in any shape or form.
UKRAINE is in debt to RUSSIA,despite RUSSIA’s generosity towards it when it was supplying OIL to the UKRAINE under ‘mutually’ agreed deals, it RENEGED on it’s obligation to pay for that oil.
Under any universal trade trade law,that constitutes theft, through obtaining goods\services without intention to pay for them.
YET, the EU\IMF\WorldBank, pumped $BILLIONS into that HIGHLY CORRUPT country.
WHY?
The answer is simple,PUTIN\RUSSIA,but, who ‘dictated’ that ‘reason’ to do so?
The answer,the USA.
WHY?
To extend the USA HEGEMONY & STIR UP HATRED TOWARDS RUSSIA IN PERSUIT OF THAT ‘HEGEMONY’,that’s why.
REMEMBER, it was OBAMA that lit the ‘FUSE’ against PUTIN over the CRIMEA, then he WITHDREW to allow the the STUPID EU politicians to take up the USA ‘baton’` against RUSSIA\PUTIN.
The government under CAMERON saw this as a golden opportunity to extract £100’s BILLION’s from the Quantative Easing program of £375 BILLION,to fund the TRIDENT RENEWAL PROGRAM.
In order to do this,the ‘propaganda’ against PUTIN\RUSSIA, had to be ratcheted up.
The TWO Ministers to whom the task fell were HAMMOND & FALLON.
They duly obliged by opening up their hateful invective against PUTIN\RUSSIA as soon as OBAMA had ‘lit the fuse’.
It also explains why RUSSIA had flights ‘testing’ British aerospace.
One must put the above in the context of the BREXIT situation,in how the combined forces supporting that USA ‘hegemony’ are combing the PROPAGANDA war to influence the ‘gullible’ ‘British’ public into staying in by dint of ‘FEAR’.
To the people I say,”Live on your feet, or die on your knees”.
The UKRAINE is a ‘basket’ case, it is in the very same situation that GREECE is in,YET, it has been given $BILLIONS with no ‘strings’ attached & with no prospect of ever paying that money back.
It is a ‘Black Hole’ in which taxpayers of EUROPE & the rest of the world are paying to support a CORRUPT regime.
We have no control of that money,the equally corrupt western politicians are doing this support AGAINST the interest of the people, for the UKRAINE has no interest that match our long term interest.
UkraiNATO Create Army half a Million with an Independent Financial System.
Referendum in Ukraine: a Return Nuclear Status!