DUTCH VOTERS HAVE “OVERWHELMINGLY REJECTED” THE E.U. CONSTITUTION:
An exit poll broadcast by state-financed NOS television said the constitution failed by a vote of 63 percent to 37 percent, an even worse defeat than the 55 percent “no” vote in France’s referendum Sunday.
Turnout was 62 percent, far exceeding even the most optimistic expectations and a reflection of the heated debate in recent days over an issue that has polarized Europeans. Dutch liberals worried a more united EU could weaken liberal social policies, while conservatives feared losing control of immigration.
Although the referendum was consultative, the high turnout and the decisive margin left no room for the Dutch parliament to turn its back on the people’s verdict. The parliament meets Thursday to discuss the results.
It’s a double-whammy this week. Dutch blog PeakTalk has much more.
UPDATE: Daniel Drezner has more on the Dutch decision, and how it differs from what happened in France.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Michael Totten writes on what’s really wrong with the E.U. Constitution. Meanwhile, Matt Welch worries that we’re heading toward a Lou Dobbs world. And here’s the Washington Post story:
Like the French, many Dutch voters said in interviews that they were concerned the 25-member European Union had grown too much, too fast in recent years and that they feared giving more power to European bureaucrats in Brussels to regulate everyday life across the continent. . . .
“Europe is big now and that’s a good thing,” said Peer van der Wonde, a 52-year-old artist and furniture designer, shortly after he voted “no” at city hall in The Hague.”But we have to be careful. In the last 10 years, the people in Brussels have tried to minimize the input of regular people in democratic decisions.”
That doesn’t sound too Lou-Dobbsish to me. Also, see Dutch blog Zacht Ei for more, including this observation:
EC President Barroso made his familiar point again, about how nine countries have ratified the constitution already.
André Rouvoet of the ChristenUnie just pointed out the fallacy in this argument: only three of those countries have put the constitution to a vote. And two of them rejected it.
Two countries that are, by the way, founding members of the EU.
Ouch.
MORE: Over at ChicagoBoyz, Lex writes: “I think I am going to go out and buy some Dutch beer this weekend.”