AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -Dutch voters worried about social benefits and immigration overwhelmingly rejected the European Union constitution yesterday in what could be a knockout blow for a charter meant to create a power rivaling the United States.
With four-fifths of the votes counted, the charter was losing 62 percent to 39 percent, an even worse defeat than the 55 percent no vote delivered in a French referendum Sunday.
Naturally
I'm very disappointed Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said in conceding defeat in his campaign for ratification and promising the government would respect the results.
The charter was designed to provide such trappings of statehood as a flag, a president and an anthem on what has largely been an economic bloc while creating a more integrated political entity of 450 million people with a bigger economy than America's.
But the idea has proved increasingly polarizing, with opponents worrying about loss of national control and identity to a strengthened EU bureaucracy at the heart of a superstate.
Nine EU states have ratified the charter, but it needs approval from all 25 states to take effect in late 2006, and the no vote in both France and the Netherlands -founding members of the bloc -was a clear message that European integration has gone awry.
We must acknowledge that many Europeans doubt that Europe is able to answer the urgent questions of the moment said German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, leader of the EU's richest nation and a strong proponent of the charter. The crisis surrounding the ratification of the European constitution must not become Europe's general crisis.
French President Jacques Chirac, whose support for the constitution was repudiated by his people, said the vote shows strong expectations
questions and concerns about the development of the European project.
Some 62 percent of Dutch voters turned out, far exceeding expectations in a reflection of the heated debate in recent days. Dutch liberals worried that a more united EU could weaken liberal social policies, while conservatives feared losing control of immigration.
Although the referendum was consultative, the high turnout and the decisive margin left no room for the Dutch parliament to turn its back on the people's verdict. The parliament will meet today to discuss the results.
Asked about the vote, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the constitution was a matter for the Europeans.
The United States is committed to a Europe that is united and strong and one that works in partnership with us to address our common challenges. We've done that in the past
and we want to do that as we move forward in the future
McClellan said.
At EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso urged member governments not to make any hasty judgments about the ratification process and wait for the bloc's mid-June summit to assess the constitution's situation.
We have a serious problem
but we must continue our work
Barroso said.
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said EU leaders needed to analyze what went wrong, but said they should press on. This is not the end of the process for the constitution and not at all the end of European integration
he said.
Early in the day, Balkenende had said he was optimistic the Dutch would defy the pollsters and vote on the merits of the constitution rather than their general feeling of malaise.
The question is: Do we want to have progress today or do we choose a standstill
and for me the choice is obvious
he said.
But voters marking paper ballots with red pencils or pushing electronic buttons clearly had a different view.
At an Amsterdam school, where about a dozen people waited to vote, a reporter had difficulty finding anyone in favor of the constitution. One said the charter would bolster Europe: I think it's a good thing if there's a strong Europe
