On April 6, Eurosceptics claimed an important victory when Dutch voters rejected the European Union’s Association Agreement with Ukraine in a referendum[1]. The agreement would have established a free trade area between the two sides and is seen as a first step towards EU membership for Ukraine.
The vote was probably based on concerns among a section of the Dutch electorate about establishing closer ties with conflict-torn Ukraine. But observers suggest that the referendum was mainly an opportunity for Dutch voters to express discontent with the EU and with the current Dutch government.
This has put both the Dutch government and EU …read more