The referendum in the Netherlands, not to mention its outcome, demonstrates the difficult situation faced by the EU. According to the Agency TASS with reference to the article in the German edition of Spiegel online, for the EU this has become a “double slap”
To the refugee crisis, the conflict with Russia, the difficult economic situation in Greece has now increased and the reluctance of the Dutch to ratify the Association Agreement with Ukraine. The author emphasizes that this document was the cause of the events that led to the change of power in the country, “the Dutch have acted against the Treaty, it has symbolic value”. If the Netherlands, only 28 countries-EU members, refuses to ratify the agreement, the entire package may fail.
“For the EU, the result is a double slap in the face. The outcome of the referendum shows that the EU is currently completely not popular in the Netherlands, which until a few years ago it was generally believed one of the countries most friendly toward Europe. Moreover, it shows that about 70 percent of the population had no interest in such an important European issue, or thought that their vote carries no weight. The latter contributed to the disunity shown by the EU in the situation with Greece and during the migratory crisis,” the article says.
It is also noted that the outcome of the referendum is “not only a victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the victory of all those who would like, the sooner the better, to see the destruction of the EU”.
According to preliminary calculations, the referendum in the Netherlands on the ratification of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine, only 38 percent supported the decision, 61 percent of voters opposed. And although the vote is Advisory in nature, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands mark Rutte has not ruled out that the country may refuse to ratify the document.
