Current status concerning EU Constitution:
The EU Constituion was rejected by 61.6% in a referendum on 1 June 2005, with a turnout of 62.8%.
There is widespread popular opposition against revisiting the Constitution. Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot has admitted that we have discussed the Constitution, which for the Netherlands is dead. (The Telegraph, 12 Januray 2006)
UPDATES
16 June 2006: Speaking after the EU Summit in Brussels (15-16 June) Dutch Minister for Europe Atzo Nicolai excluded a new referendum on the same Constitutional text or even on a slightly modified text. And one should not have too much hope that a possible future new government would do it, he added, since the word Constitution had a counterproductive effect in the Netherlands.(Direction Gnrale de l'Information, European Parliament, Brussels)
02 June 2006: A poll commissioned by Open Europe suggests that a new referendum would see the lead of the No camp increase by 7 % in the Netherlands to over 68% (see 1 June poll further down). The poll was conducted in France and the Netherlands a year after the Referendum. (the increase is of 2 % for France). The results for the Netherlands are as follows (for France in brackets):
- Give more power to the EU: 15 % (18 %)
- Keep the current balance: 17 % (16 %)
- Take back powers from the EU: 54 % (53 %)
- Leave the EU altogether: 14 % (10 %)
- according to the same poll, 75 % of Dutch voters (74 % of French) think that no parts of the Constitution should be implemented unless they are agreed in fresh referendums. See openeurope.org report.
01 June 2006: according to a poll by Maurice de Hond/NOS 68 % of respondents would vote against the European Constitution "if a new referendum on the European Constitution took place this week", with 32% in favour (conducted on 24 May 2006 with 2,200 Dutch adults).
18 May 2006: Internet poll taken by the Dutch government over a period of 5 weeks, with the participation of around 120.000 people (results will be used as a contribution of the Netherlands to the 15-16 June EU summit in Brussels):
- about two-thirds think it is good the Netherlands are in the EU
- 55 % oppose EU membership for Romania and Bulgaria; for Bosnia it is 59%; for Serbia and Montenegro 62%; Albania 64%; Turkey 69%
- 70% support a common asylum policy
- 60% in favour of better police cooperation, but less than 15 % say an EU police force is a good idea.
10 May 2006: Dutch Europe minister Atzo Nicolai in a TV interview: We are not in favour in the Netherlands of proposing this Constitutiona Treaty... this government will not go back In the Netherlands it's not really alive." (BBC Today programme, 10 May 2006)
05 May 2006: According to the Eurobarometer results:
- 71% think their country's EU membership is "a good thing". (second highest)
- 32% chose "a common constitution" when asked to choose two from six options concerning what "would be most helpful for the Future of Europe" (fourth highest)
- 37% chose "a common constitution" when asked to choose two from six options concerning what "would strengthen your feelings about being a European citizen." (second highest)