The Netherlands suspended ratification of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement until spring
Ratification of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement in the Netherlands has been suspended due to a general referendum on this issue, which is of a recommendatory nature.
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Based on its results, the final decision on ratification must be made by parliament.
This is how the situation with the ratification of the Agreement was explained in the political group of the D66 party in the Second Chamber (the Netherlands has a bicameral system), which is one of the largest political parties in the country. D66 is a liberal party and is currently in opposition to the government.
The group recalled that the Association Agreement was ratified by both chambers.
“However, due to the referendum, ratification was delayed. D66 wants to hold this referendum as soon as possible. For this referendum, D66 will launch a “Yes” campaign (“Yes” to the Association Agreement),” the parliamentary group explained.
It is expected that within a week a commission will be created to conduct a referendum, which will most likely take place in the spring of next year.
As is known, on October 14, the Electoral Council of the Netherlands, having considered the relevant appeal, decided to hold a referendum in the country, at which the question of ratification of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement will be raised. There are 427 thousand 939 valid signatures under the appeal. The turnout must be 30% of the total number of those eligible to vote, after which the government must make a decision on the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement.
It was initiated by the group GeenPeil, and the leader of the campaign was Jaan Roos, who is known to believe that one of the reasons for the “civil war” in the East of Ukraine is the European Union, which signed this document with Kiev.
“I have nothing in common with Ukraine, not only because it is very far away, but also because it is a very corrupt country. There is an ongoing civil war there, which was initiated by the European Union because of the Association Agreement, and as a result, more than two hundred Dutch citizens were shot down in the air,” he said.
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