Voters in the Netherlands on April 6 participated in a referendum on Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the European Union, rejecting it by a vote of 61.1 percent (38.1 percent voted in favor). Voter turnout was 32.2 percent, which is above the 30 percent threshold needed for the vote to be considered valid. Ostensibly, the vote was about Ukraine, but in reality it was a vote against the European Union in a referendum that was organized by Euroskeptics, whose goal was to question and even destabilize the EU. However, the referendum was opportunistically supported by pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian elements in Europe, and it was a vote that played into the hands of Vladimir Putin, whose hybrid war extends well beyond the Ukrainian territories his forces have occupied. Historian Timothy Snyder wrote: “To vote ‘no’ is to endorse the Russian effort to destabilize the European Union from within, and to encourage the continuation of Russia’s wars in the EU’s neighborhood.”
Unfortunately, Ukraine and its 45.5 million people are the victims of the Dutch “no” vote – which, we must underscore, came after thousands of people in Ukraine died for their country’s European choice.
At this point, the loss at the polls seems to be more of a moral one for Ukraine, but it is not clear what the Dutch government will do now that voters have spoken. Although the Dutch Parliament approved the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement last year, the Dutch government says it has to take the non-binding referendum’s results into account – no matter that less than 20 percent of the electorate clearly voted against Ukraine’s European ambitions. A statement from the Dutch government said: “The government will now deliberate on the outcome and consult with the Dutch Parliament. Subsequently, the Dutch government will also speak to EU-partners and the government of Ukraine. This process will take time to be able to reach a solution that is acceptable to all parties.”
President Petro Poroshenko, who had predicted a win for Ukraine in the Dutch vote, noted that the referendum was “an attack on the unity of Europe, attack on the spread of European values” and emphasized that it “has an exclusively consultative nature under the Constitution and legislation of the Netherlands.” He added: “I am confident that this event is not a strategic obstacle for Ukraine on the path to Europe. I would like to emphasize that Ukraine will keep on implementing the Association Agreement and ensure the establishment of DCFTA [Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area] with the European Union, for it is a way to modernize Ukraine and reinforce its independence. We will not turn off the road of European integration. Ukraine and freedom cannot be stopped.”
Thankfully, Ukraine has allies like Lithuania, who don’t for a moment question its European identity. President Dalia Grybauskaite (speaking in English) stated, “…now is not the time to lose hope or question Ukraine’s European choice. No one can stand in the way of Ukraine’s path to Europe. Because Ukraine has always been in Europe and will always stay in Europe. Provisions of the agreement on free trade are de facto already in force. The integration process may take more time than we thought, but the end result is clear. It was decided in Maidan. There is no doubt that the future of Ukraine is in the hands of every Ukrainian.” She continued in Ukrainian: “Today we must become more united and decisive, ready for reform, integration and a new European Ukraine. Lithuania and all of Europe will be on your side. Glory to Ukraine!”