Joesoef
31-05-05, 17:10
Polls: Dutch Seen Nixing EU Constitution By ANTHONY DEUTSCH, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 20 minutes ago
Polls suggest a disillusioned Dutch public will reject the European Union constitution Wednesday by an even larger margin than the "no" delivered by France.
A second repudiation within a week likely would force leaders of the 25-member bloc to reconsider the direction of European integration when they gather in two weeks in Brussels.
"When two member founding states vote no, it looks like a big crisis," said Aurore Wanlin, an analyst with the London-based Center for European Reform.
It also would be a debacle for Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, reinforcing his image as an ineffective leader. But unlike in France, even a decisive rejection was unlikely to lead to resignations or a Cabinet shake-up.
Two polls published Monday indicated opinion is running at close to 60 percent against the constitution, showing even greater resistance than in France, which voted 55 percent to 45 percent to reject the treaty.
The margin could be even wider if supporters decide the battle is lost and stay away from the polling stations, said pollster Maurice de Hond.
"The French 'no' will definitely affect the turnout. I think it will make it easier for people who are wondering how to vote to vote 'no' as well because the Netherlands will not be isolated if we vote 'no,'" said Lousewies van der Laan, a parliament member of the D-66 party, which supports the constitution.
In one of his final appeals, Balkenende pleaded that the Netherlands must remain at the center of European decision-making. If the Dutch say no, "then it won't be a discussion with us over the question of how Europe must go on, but one without us," he said in the Trouw newspaper.
Naysayers cite a wide range of reasons for their skepticism, from liberals concerned Holland will lose its independence over such policies as euthanasia and marijuana, to conservatives worried about losing control of immigration policies.
"The government miscalculated anti-Europe feelings," said Johan Huizenge, the Europe analyst for Radio Netherlands. "It began its campaign too late. When they found Europe was not a popular issue to sell, they became hesitant."
http://tinyurl.com/cg64z
Major opposition parties backed Balkenende's coalition, urging voters to stay focused on the larger issues. "It is no longer about coal and steel, it's about asylum and terrorism," said the Labor Party's Wouter Bos, the opposition leader. "We simply need new ground rules to make Europe workable."
The other EU countries have left ratification to their parliaments, instead of the public.
Nine countries — Austria, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain — have already ratified the constitution, and EU leaders vow the process will continue in other members despite France's fierce "no."
The French rejection sent the euro into a slide against the dollar that continued Tuesday. The euro dropped more than a cent to below $1.24, with concern over the future of European integration rattling traders ahead of the vote in the Netherlands.
The vote in the Netherlands is being closely watched in Britain, where sentiment against the constitution is even stronger than in France or here. Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was too early to tell if Britain would go ahead with a referendum on the constitution as planned, calling for a "time for reflection."
EU leaders, who signed the constitution in October, contend it would streamline operations and decision-making and improve democratic accountability. It also would create an EU president and foreign minister, raising Europe's profile on the global stage by giving it the ability to speak with one voice.
The constitution itself makes clear all EU members must ratify the text for it to take effect as planned by Nov. 1, 2006. But it also says EU leaders will discuss what to do if, by October 2006, four-fifths of member states have ratified the treaty but even one has "encountered difficulties" getting it accepted.
In France, polls suggested many voters wanted to punish a government they feel has failed them. Responding to that sentiment, President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday fired Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and replaced him with Dominique de Villepin, formerly the interior minister.
1 hour, 20 minutes ago
Polls suggest a disillusioned Dutch public will reject the European Union constitution Wednesday by an even larger margin than the "no" delivered by France.
A second repudiation within a week likely would force leaders of the 25-member bloc to reconsider the direction of European integration when they gather in two weeks in Brussels.
"When two member founding states vote no, it looks like a big crisis," said Aurore Wanlin, an analyst with the London-based Center for European Reform.
It also would be a debacle for Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, reinforcing his image as an ineffective leader. But unlike in France, even a decisive rejection was unlikely to lead to resignations or a Cabinet shake-up.
Two polls published Monday indicated opinion is running at close to 60 percent against the constitution, showing even greater resistance than in France, which voted 55 percent to 45 percent to reject the treaty.
The margin could be even wider if supporters decide the battle is lost and stay away from the polling stations, said pollster Maurice de Hond.
"The French 'no' will definitely affect the turnout. I think it will make it easier for people who are wondering how to vote to vote 'no' as well because the Netherlands will not be isolated if we vote 'no,'" said Lousewies van der Laan, a parliament member of the D-66 party, which supports the constitution.
In one of his final appeals, Balkenende pleaded that the Netherlands must remain at the center of European decision-making. If the Dutch say no, "then it won't be a discussion with us over the question of how Europe must go on, but one without us," he said in the Trouw newspaper.
Naysayers cite a wide range of reasons for their skepticism, from liberals concerned Holland will lose its independence over such policies as euthanasia and marijuana, to conservatives worried about losing control of immigration policies.
"The government miscalculated anti-Europe feelings," said Johan Huizenge, the Europe analyst for Radio Netherlands. "It began its campaign too late. When they found Europe was not a popular issue to sell, they became hesitant."
http://tinyurl.com/cg64z
Major opposition parties backed Balkenende's coalition, urging voters to stay focused on the larger issues. "It is no longer about coal and steel, it's about asylum and terrorism," said the Labor Party's Wouter Bos, the opposition leader. "We simply need new ground rules to make Europe workable."
The other EU countries have left ratification to their parliaments, instead of the public.
Nine countries — Austria, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain — have already ratified the constitution, and EU leaders vow the process will continue in other members despite France's fierce "no."
The French rejection sent the euro into a slide against the dollar that continued Tuesday. The euro dropped more than a cent to below $1.24, with concern over the future of European integration rattling traders ahead of the vote in the Netherlands.
The vote in the Netherlands is being closely watched in Britain, where sentiment against the constitution is even stronger than in France or here. Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was too early to tell if Britain would go ahead with a referendum on the constitution as planned, calling for a "time for reflection."
EU leaders, who signed the constitution in October, contend it would streamline operations and decision-making and improve democratic accountability. It also would create an EU president and foreign minister, raising Europe's profile on the global stage by giving it the ability to speak with one voice.
The constitution itself makes clear all EU members must ratify the text for it to take effect as planned by Nov. 1, 2006. But it also says EU leaders will discuss what to do if, by October 2006, four-fifths of member states have ratified the treaty but even one has "encountered difficulties" getting it accepted.
In France, polls suggested many voters wanted to punish a government they feel has failed them. Responding to that sentiment, President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday fired Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and replaced him with Dominique de Villepin, formerly the interior minister.