Yesterday Dutch voters rejected the ratification of the European Union’s Association Agreement with Ukraine. A threshold of 30 per cent voter turnout was required for the referendum to have effect and with a turnout of 32.2 per cent and a majority of 61.1 per cent of the voters saying “no”, according to preliminary results, it seems that the referendum has met the formal requirements. The big question today is: what now for the Dutch? The immediate question of course is how the government will react to the results. However, in the long term, and more worryingly, last night’s results have opened up a Pandora’s Box of populist politics in Europe writes Sijbren de Jong in New Eastern Europe.
The full article can be read here.
The article also appeared in the Morning Vertical daily Russia briefing by Radio Free Europe.
Photo credit: Sebastiaan ter Burg via Foter.com / CC BY