By Brian Johnson - 29th May 2005
The Dutch government is urging voters to ignore the French referendum ‘non’ and back the EU constitution in the country’s own poll on Wednesday.
Supporters of the new constitution including the embattled centre right prime minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, issued an urgent appeal for voters not to be “influenced by the French” and to make up their own minds.
“There is all the more reason to say ‘yes’ so that some progress can be recorded with the constitutional treaty,” Balkenende told reporters in the Hague on Sunday.
“Each country has its own responsibility. That means that Dutch voters have to weigh it up for themselves.”
And Balkenende argued on Dutch television that the result should not be predetermined by the French. “The Netherlands now plays an important role. We must be conscious of our own interest and say yes.”
Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot backed Balkenende’s eleventh hour appeal.
“It’s up to the French what they decide but we Dutch must make up our own minds, just as we have always done and will continue to do,” said Bot.
But three days ahead of the vote, all the opinion polls show a decisive lead for the Dutch ‘no’ camp of ten – 15 per cent.
But after France’s decisive rejection on sunday, the Dutch turnout is expected to plummet, suggested a Dutch opinion pollster.
The Dutch referendum is non-binding and a low turnout could allow ratification by the back door, as all the main Dutch political parties have promised to abide by the referendum result, providing voter turnout exceeds 30 per cent.
But the Dutch ‘yes’ camp has struggled to keep the focus of the debate on the EU constitution and like the French campaign has failed to stop the vote becoming a plebiscite on the incumbent unpopular government.
The Dutch, founding members of the EU and until recently considered loyal supporters of further European integration have been rocked by a series of internal problems.
Top of the list is immigration, where racial attitudes have polarised in the wake of the murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh and by the EU’s decision to begin entry talks with Turkey.
Opinion polls suggest that opposition to Turkish membership is the main reason voters plan to vote against the treaty.
And Dutch voters who pay the highest per capita contributions to the EU’s coffers have never forgiven the government for price hikes following the launch of the euro.
“I hear the irritation out there over price rises after the introduction of the euro. But is that a question of the euro or of café owners who abused the situation to carry out a price increase?” said Balkenende in defence of the treaty.
The ‘yes’ camp remained bullish, despite the French result.
“The game is not yet over. Paris does not write the law for us,” said Dutch liberal MP Jozias van Aartsen according to FT Europe.
But leading ‘no’ campaigner Socialist Harry van Bommel told the newspaper that the French ‘non’ has brought a Dutch ‘nee’ even closer.
“This result gives an extra motivation for the no camp,” said van Bommel.
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