I disagree. Now, I'm a (dreaded) immigrant here, so have no right to vote...but in talking with people here, many people are now stopping and considering what the whole process about becoming a political EU, beyond an economic EU, means. And many are appreciating that the French...and now the Dutch...are saying, "stop, this is moving too fast...what are we rushing into"? I see that many people feel this whole process of expansion is too fast. Yes, people can react through the initiative process, but it also denies the fact that people could also have thought about this and don't feel comfortable. Such is democracy. Your post just seems so alarmed...I'm not sure a no vote is all that bad...

Visit The European Tribune

.
BBC News -- Dutch Debate on EU Future!

Vote "YES" in referendum on EU Charter, not a vote on domestic issues
YES - Hope for Peace and a united Europe with new EU Constitutional Charter
Don't vote NO for domestic reasons of present woes

do not succumb to fear for new member Turkey in 2020

unease due to cost of €uro introduction in 2002 and higher prices

rejection of frugal financial policy due to stalled economic growth

dissatisfaction in general to combat racism, crime and ghettos in municipalities.

Parliament would vote YES with 128 votes and 22 NAYs!

Oui - Liberté - Egalité - Fraternité

I have been against referendums all the way through the European Integration process, because NEVER has the referendum been on the treaties, but always, on xenophobia and paranoid nationalism.

Good luck in the Netherlands. Yet I fear those who are opposing this constitution might get their will and I seriously wonder, whether they even grasp what historic chance they lost. They will never get such a good deal from a German government again, especially now that conservatives will take over.

.
            ~   Cross-posted from Jerôme a Paris's Diary ~

It's not an issue of democracy, the majority of the French are FOR European integration. The choice of a referendum was a poor one. "Oui" or "Non" for the EU Constitutional Charter is not what the French voted, although the new charter is a vast improvement over the present Nice Agreements and tailored for the EU with its 25 member states.

The political decision of necessity to re-unite Europe after the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, has somehow caught the citizens of Europe by surprise for its ramifications in the economic union. We all like to spend our vacations in those poor countries because of the low cost, including Turkey, but to accept responsibility for a united Europe, everyone suddenly felt the pinch in one's wallet.

The opposition forces in France, especially the Communists, labor unions and far left socialists, prefer large subsidies by the French government to keep Bold Credit Lyonnais, Renault, Peugeot, Alsthom, Bull from sinking. The agricultural sector have a love for the large EU subsidies to keep the farmers farming the way their dad's generation were kept a guaranteed income by the state. No thought about the long-term effect for third-world nations who can't compete with subsidized EU products.

On the opposite political spectrum, the right-wing Le Pen had no problem with his racists views to get a 15% of the population to vote "Non".

In the Netherlands, the Dutch are voting June 1st for their first referendum ever, the polls have indicated a same large "Nay" vote of nearly 60%. The same poll indicates that 93% of the voters admit they have no idea what the EU Constitutional Charter is about - hail to democracy. It will be a non-binding vote, although an increasing number of parties reluctantly are admitting they cannot ignore the result of the democratic opinion.

Contrary to France, in the Netherlands the parties from Labor (PvdA), Greens (D'66), Christian Democrats (CDA) and right-wing Liberals (VVD) all are FOR the new EU Charter and would have an easy two-thirds majority of the deciding vote in parliament. Also a strong voice in support come from all major Dutch Labor unions, as they agree the new charter increases the democratic content of the European Parliament and have more clarity on the social issues of the EU.

Dutch Parliament would vote YES with 128 votes and 22 NAYs!

So have someone please explain the joy of democracy in this vote by referendum, instead of a decision made by our parliamentary representatives hired to do their job!

Oui - Liberté - Egalité - Fraternité

.
Pim Fortuyn illustrated in 2002 by the local election in Rotterdam and the national election in May 2002, that the politics in The Hague is too distant for many citizens, especially in the large metropoles of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht and The Hague. These people are confronted with the failures of policies of many years. A large group of people voting for Pim Fortuyn, are those who would otherwise have stayed home. That was a gain for democracy.

The European Union has been taken for granted by the mainstream of people in the Netherlands, press and media, and the political parties in Dutch parliament. The knowledge of the EU, its parliament in Brussel and the Council of Ministers is very finite, as was seen in the low turnout of 39.1% in Election 2004 for the EU parliament. The EU campaign is never on EU issues, but always reverses to local and national issues. The polls established that 93% of the Dutch citizens have no or very little knowledge of the EU Constitutional Charter.

The EU Charter was signed one year ago by the enlarged union of 25 nations. I didn't see any protest manifestations a year ago, so I am indeed puzzled by the non-binding referendum, and has absolutely nothing to do with democracy as I know it. A single question referendum on a difficult, complicated issue of the EU Charter does not fulfill any useful goal. An extended referendum with more questions would do better to indicate the emotions and arguments, what the citizens' aims are with the EU membership and enlargement or social issues.  Once again, the voter fears the unknown and rejects an important improvement of a charter, that should have been ratified before the enlargement to 25 nations.

A Dutch saying: "Wat een boer niet kent, vreet die niet". I am sure the geographical chart of the division will explain a lot how the Dutch voted. The same was also illustrated in the French vote.

Oui - Liberté - Egalité - Fraternité

 City               turnout   yes    no
 Abcoude               73,2   52,0  48,0
 Bennebroek            72,6   55,3  44,7
 Bloemendaal           75,3   60,6  39,4
 Bunnik                73,7   52,8  47,2
 Bussum                70,5   49,8  50,2
 Doorn                 68,6   51,2  48,8
 Eersel                60,0   50,5  49,5
 Haren                 74,7   52,1  47,9
 Heemstede             71,7   57,0  43,0
 Maarn                 78,4   50,7  49,3
 Margraten             66,9   50,2  49,8
 Midden-Delfland       72,3   50,3  49,7
 Mook en Middelaar     68,3   51,1  48,9
 Naarden               73,7   55,0  45,0
 Nuenen c.a.           67,6   51,8  48,2
 Oegstgeest            74,6   55,9  44,1
 Sevenum               59,8   50,9  49,1
 Son en Breugel        63,9   50,6  49,4
 UTRECHT               63,9   51,1  48,9
 Voorschoten           71,8   51,3  48,7
 Waalre                69,3   51,0  49,0
 Wageningen            68,3   52,2  47,8
 Warmond               69,0   52,1  47,9
 Wassenaar             70,2   52,6  47,4

The well educated and more affluent part of The Netherlands voted YES to the EU Charter! Turnout above average.

Not surprising to my earlier analysis, and the polls indicated that 93% of voters did not have sufficient knowledge of EU Comstitutional Charter.

The city of UTRECHT is one of the four largest cities in the Netherlands, with averaged best educated citizens.

 City               turnout   yes    no
 AMSTERDAM             55,9   42,3  57,7
 THE HAGUE             53,1   41,5  58,5
 ROTTERDAM             53,4   32,4  67,6
 UTRECHT               63,9   51,1  48,9

Oui - Liberté - Egalité - Fraternité

 City               turnout   yes    no
 Alblasserdam          66.8   25.0  75.0
 Bellingwedde          64.1   22.6  77.4
 Dirksland             69.6   20.4  79.6
 Elburg                70.8   24.0  76.0
 Goedereede            75.5   21.3  78.7
 Hardinxveld-G'dam     72.0   22.7  77.3
 Menterwolde           65.3   21.9  78.1
 Neder-Betuwe          68.2   20.2  79.8
 Nieuw-Lekkerland      77.3   20.2  79.8
 Nunspeet              73.2   23.1  76.9
 Oldebroek             67.2   19.7  80.3
 Pekela                60.3   18.5  81.5
 Reiderland            61.2   15.4  84.6
 Reimerswaal           70.8   20.3  79.7
 Rijssen-Holten        70.0   24.7  75.3
 Scheemda              65.4   24.8  75.2
 Sliedrecht            67.2   22.5  77.5
 SPIJKENISSE           61.6   23.2  76.8
 Staphorst             77.4   16.4  83.6
 Tholen                67.2   20.9  79.1
 Urk                   74.8    8.4  91.6
 Zwartewaterland       72.3   24.0  76.0

The northern part of the Netherlands: province of Friesland and Groningen, are poor and lack investments and job opportunities. Except the city of Groningen with its University and affluent suburb of Haaren (Yes 48.4%). The outer parts of North-east are old pro-communist stronghold and voted against the EU Charter.

Very surprising for me, the Protestant communities voted overwhelmingly against the EU Charter! These religious groups have a very high turnout - way above average. The Protestant city of Urk is a small fishing village, which has suffered greatly from the stringent EU rules to protect the fishing grounds of the North Sea. Urk - NO vote 91,6% with turnout of 75%!

Oui - Liberté - Egalité - Fraternité

And how many pages is the EU Constitutional Charter?  Maybe people are smart enough not to vote for something that no one person can read and understand fully.  Get it down to the size of the US Constitution or the Magna Carta and then vote.

.
This is a news flash from the:

Dutch reject EU Constitution
by whataboutbob ◊ Wed Jun 1st, 2005  

It appears the Dutch have rejected the EU Constitution in their just completed referendum, 62% (no) to 38% (yes)...it seems people are feeling the process is moving too fast, or are concerned that it just isn't that good a deal for the Dutch people...

Let's see what happens next, and what it all means.

Anger and the European EU votes
by whataboutbob ◊ Thu Jun 2nd, 2005

EU nations to continue ratification process of EU constitution

BBC NEWS -- What the EU constitution says
A constitution for the European Union was agreed in Brussels on June 18, 2004.  

BBC VIDEO -- EU Charter Vote

Oui - Liberté - Egalité - Fraternité