In reality, the Dutch vote was used as an opportunity for Dutch eurosceptics to speak out against the direction Europe is going in. This is demonstrated clearly by the parties who are celebrating the results, namely campaigners for a Brexit and Marine Le Pen.
The “no” campaign based their arguments, when they actually talked about Ukraine, on Ukraine being a financial drain, and of Ukrainian people being somehow different, and of a wish to not anger Vladimir Putin (something that Nigel Farage has argued many times) and fears of migration and so on.
1) Ukraine is not a financial drain on the EU, Ukraine is borrowing money from various parties, to be repaid, with interest. A free trade agreement will enhance cooperation between the EU and Ukraine, something profiting to all sides.
2) Want to know the difference between the people of Ukraine and the people of solid democratic European nations like Poland and the Baltics? The people of Ukraine have had to fight more recently for their freedom, and that’s it. In Ukraine, people died under the flags of Europe.
3) As for angering Putin, he kicked off a war that has killed 10,000 people in my country. The argument makes no sense. He’s already angry, or something else. Would Farage and Le Pen like to hand Ukraine along with 45 million people to languish in Russia’s sphere of influence, regardless of the wishes of the people of Ukraine? Apparently so. How exceptionally arrogant of them.
4) As for fears of migration, well the above-mentioned war has created something like 1.7 million internally displaced people in Ukraine in the last two years. How many of them have spilled over to the EU? None. They live in their home country which they are attempting to strengthen from within despite enormous challenges.
People can debate EU policy all they like, it is a shame that Ukraine has been used as a scapegoat for that debate. I love Holland, it remains one of my favorite countries in Europe. I love Ukraine, it also remains one of my favourite countries in Europe.
The “no” vote is being championed as a victory by people, like Farage, who call the EU Commission an un-elected and non-representative body, by people who argue that the commission. therefore, is not democratic.
In fact, the commission is nominated by democratic governments and elected by members of the European Parliament who are themselves elected by the people and the commission can, in fact, be dismissed as they were in 1999.
Conversely, if the Dutch turnout was 32 percent of voters and the no campaign got 62 percent of the votes, that means that less than 20 percent of the population of one of the 28 countries of the European Union just hijacked a trade deal that has been over a decade in the making and is of great importance to the people of Ukraine as a sign of acceptance and respect, and as an encouragement to keep on the difficult path of reform.
That is a great shame. These figures also point to the hypocrisy of people like Le Pen and Farage, claiming victories for democracy when the situation can be manipulated to be presented as such.
Why did Ukrainians choose to follow the European path?
Because the democracy which Europe represents to Ukrainians meant that they could rid themselves of the kleptocratic and oligarchic system that has plagued their country and their lives for the last 25 years.
Ukrainians deserve the ongoing partnership of the EU and other democracies in order to continue the direction of development that has begun and is irreversible, to the 80 percent of the population of the Netherlands who did not vote against the aspirations of the people of Ukraine. Thank you. Bedankt. Дякую.
