Netherlands Decides 'Yes' or 'No' on Ukraine

What You Need To Know:

✅ The highly anticipated, non-binding referendum being held in the Netherlands on Ukraine’s Trade Association Agreement with the European Union is scheduled for April 6th, 2016;

✅ “The situation looks not too good for the agreement because according to the polls, the majority of the people that say that they will vote, will probably say ‘No’ to the agreement.”

✅ While the agreement has technically already come into effect, if the ‘No’ campaign wins, the Dutch Government will have to take the outcome into account;

✅ Those who support the agreement are likely not to vote, as many have expressed that the referendum is not straightforward. “There are also people who say they wont go for a ‘Yes’ vote because they don’t want the referendum to surpass the 30% threshold.”

The highly anticipated, non-binding referendum being held in the Netherlands on Ukraine’s Trade Association Agreement with the European Union is scheduled for April 6th, 2016. According to Dutch journalist, Laura Starink, “the situation looks not too good for the agreement because according to the polls, the majority of the people that say that they will vote, will probably say ‘No’ to the agreement.” A participation rate of 30% is required to deem the referendum valid.

While the agreement has technically already come into effect, if the ‘No’ campaign wins, the Dutch Government will have to take the outcome into account: “This probably doesn’t mean the end of the association agreement…but what will probably happen, analysts here say, the Dutch government will be obliged to go back to Brussels and to start renegotiate and that might end up that in the future Ukraine wont be part of the EU,” says Starink.

Those who support the agreement are likely not to vote, as many have expressed that the referendum is not straightforward. “There are also people who say they wont go for a ‘Yes’ vote because they don’t want the referendum to surpass the 30% threshold,” adds Starink.

Hromadske’s Nataliya Gumenyuk and Kyiv Post’s Josh Kovensky spoke to Laura Starink, Dutch journalist via Skype on April 3rd, 2016 in Kyiv.