Financial Times
Amsterdam : The Dutch will reject the European Union constitutional treaty in a national referendum on June 1 unless government and business can mobilise support rapidly, Dutch politicians are warning.
The outcome could prove academic if opinion polls prove accurate and the French reject the treaty three days earlier on May 29. Growing Dutch scepticism, however, could feed anti-EU sentiment in France, and vice-versa, making the Yes campaigns more difficult.
Regardless of the French outcome, which recent polls predict will lead to a rejection of the treaty, the Dutch referendum will go ahead. However, should France back the constitution, the Netherlands a founding member of the EU could bury it.
Lousewies van der Laan, deputy parliamentary leader of the leftist D66 party, the junior ally in a centre-right government coalition that supports the constitution, told the Financial Times: "I am seriously worried the Dutch will vote No." She added: "A French No or a Dutch No means the treaty is dead."
www.gulfnews.com . . .
Amsterdam : The Dutch will reject the European Union constitutional treaty in a national referendum on June 1 unless government and business can mobilise support rapidly, Dutch politicians are warning.
The outcome could prove academic if opinion polls prove accurate and the French reject the treaty three days earlier on May 29. Growing Dutch scepticism, however, could feed anti-EU sentiment in France, and vice-versa, making the Yes campaigns more difficult.
Regardless of the French outcome, which recent polls predict will lead to a rejection of the treaty, the Dutch referendum will go ahead. However, should France back the constitution, the Netherlands a founding member of the EU could bury it.
Lousewies van der Laan, deputy parliamentary leader of the leftist D66 party, the junior ally in a centre-right government coalition that supports the constitution, told the Financial Times: "I am seriously worried the Dutch will vote No." She added: "A French No or a Dutch No means the treaty is dead."
www.gulfnews.com . . .