Richard North picked up on an article in the Times by Mary Anne Sieghart, which mentions the possibilityof a Dutch no vote.
It does have a glorious comment by some unnamed Dutch parliamentarian who said "We haven't had a referendum in Holland for 200 years. Our people have never been asked what they thought of Europe. Now we're finally giving them the chance to tell us, and we might not like what they say."
The thing is that now the French referendum is taking place on May 29th, then the Dutch referendum on June 1st will take place out of the sunlight. This, I believe to be a good thing. The EU and its cohorts will be spending their time bolster Chirac and his dreams. Meanwhile the good burghers of Holland, Brabant and Fresia will be casting their votes, in a good Dutch fashion - minimal publicity.
If they vote No the Constitution is dead.
Where Sieghart overstates the case is the quantity of the vote that will be based on immigration not on the EU. It is true of course that this is an issue. Rotterdam is set to become a Muslim majority city within ten years after all. But immigration does have a European angle. Dutch Report and Peak Talk are continually reporting on the ongoing growth of fear amongst the tulips. Spain's decision to grant citizenship to 800,000 illegals (mostly Morroccan) was greeted in horror. Did anybody expect these newly passported Spaniards to stay in the Iberian peninsula?
Update
A correspondent suggests that in fact the figure is today thought to be closer to 5 million than one million accepted by the Spaniards.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
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From what I understand, English troops who were allied to the Dutch during the Thirty Years War whilst fighting the Hapsburgs were introduced to gin by their allies. It worked like a dream.
IOt has become a pejorative to an extent, but in an odd way not a bad one. It is seen as a prop, but hardly a problem. In fact a boon.
Justremember Van Tromp, we haven't yet forgiven you for that!
Oh are you really telling me that there is anti European media hysteria in Holland, c'mon that cannot be the case.
You say you are anti national government ideologues - but would support pan-national ideologues who are even mmore removed from those they would desire to rule?
Oh and which blog? F G?
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