After Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, Brussels worries that other members could decide to quit the bloc. In the Netherlands, there are huge concerns over immigration and sovereignty, as well as increasing demands for Dutch voters to set their own referendum on EU membership.
Aside from a small plaque next to the River Maas in Maastricht town, deep in the south of the Netherlands, there are few indications of the remarkable role the town played in the history of the European Union.
Back in 1992, leaders of 12 European stated met in Maastricht to sign the treaty that holds the town’s name, establishing the modern European Union and setting it on the path of closer political and monetary union.
However, recent surveys suggest half of Dutch voters want a referendum on European Union membership, with encouragement strongest in the conservative south.
“As a nation state, we should have our own borders, our own courts, and to make our own laws – and not the people in Brussels or the European Union,” said Laurence Stassen, a former member of the European Parliament and current member of newly formed ‘For The Netherlands’ party – which is campaigning for a Dutch exit from the European Union.
Stassen added, “I think it’s a separate issue, because Brexit is all about getting the sovereignty back. But, however, there are a lot of concerns about immigration.”
According to a source familiar with the issue, much of the accomplishments both in the Netherlands and in Europe as a whole that was gained over the past decades rely on the free trade and movement of goods and of people.
In this global focal point, where oil tankers and container ships arrive from every part of the world, an EU exit is perceived as an economic disaster.
“With Europe, we are 500 million people, the largest trading zone, the largest market by itself. And the Netherlands as a country is only 16 million people,” he added.
On the other hand, Dutch regulation makes a referendum on EU membership unlikely for now, but with elections scheduled in March next year – contagion from the Brexit vote could be experienced first in the Netherlands.
EU Exit, Lifting Sanctions From Russia
The Freedom Party of the Netherlands is concluding the project of a referendum on the country’s exit from the European Union.
In the event that the country quit the European Union, The Hague plans to improve relations with Moscow and revoke sanctions from Russia. Party leader Geert Wilders explained that the previous month’s events have implied that the Netherlands should settle the issue of the referendum as soon as possible. "Brussels should not dictate to us with whom we can have economic and political relations," the officials said.
"Retrieving the ties with Russia is a priority for a traditionally merchant country that the Netherlands has always been. For many centuries, our nations, in spite of existing conflicts, could only benefit from mutual cooperation Today, the lifting of anti-Russian sanctions is a necessary condition for our prosperous future," Wilders stated.
He said that Brussels makes decisions considering its own interests only, without listening to the people.
The Freedom Party intends to conduct the EU exit referendum before the parliamentary elections in March.