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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Dutch cabinet rules out EU vote | Dutch cabinet rules out EU vote |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The Dutch cabinet has decided against holding a referendum on the EU's new Reform Treaty, amid fears the public would reject it at the polls. | |
| Voters in the Netherlands and France rejected the treaty's predecessor - a proposed European constitution - two years ago, plunging the EU into crisis. | Voters in the Netherlands and France rejected the treaty's predecessor - a proposed European constitution - two years ago, plunging the EU into crisis. |
| Reports had indicated the Dutch public would vote against the new treaty too. | Reports had indicated the Dutch public would vote against the new treaty too. |
| The decision on a referendum now goes before the Dutch parliament, where many MPs are said to favour a public vote. | The decision on a referendum now goes before the Dutch parliament, where many MPs are said to favour a public vote. |
| The 2005 referendum, effectively scuppering the proposed constitution, was held at the initiative of parliament, rather than the government. | The 2005 referendum, effectively scuppering the proposed constitution, was held at the initiative of parliament, rather than the government. |
| The lower house of parliament is believed to have a majority that favours a referendum, while the upper house is against the idea. | |
| According to the BBC's EU reporter, Stephen Mulvey, Friday's decision against a referendum could herald friction between the government and the lower house of parliament. | |
| Labour split | |
| Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, of the Christian Democrat party, said the new treaty did not propose constitutional changes and therefore did not require a referendum. | |
| "This is a normal change of treaty and only needs a normal procedure to approve it," he said. | |
| He said on Friday that the entire cabinet had backed the decision against holding a referendum. | |
| Two of the three parties in the Dutch governing coalition had opposed a referendum on the new treaty, but a third, the Labour Party, was split over the issue. | Two of the three parties in the Dutch governing coalition had opposed a referendum on the new treaty, but a third, the Labour Party, was split over the issue. |
| Although the Labour party supports the EU Reform Treaty, a faction within it has argued that the views of the public must be taken into account before the document is adopted. | |
| A Dutch decision in favour of holding a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty would have put fresh pressure on the British and Danish governments to do the same in their countries. | |
| Both London and Copenhagen have been eager to avoid plebiscites on the new EU Reform Treaty. |