European elections - Dutch shift from Euro frontrunners to Eurosceptics - by DPA
There was a time when the Dutch were enthusiastic supporters of projects to draw Europe closer together politically. But in the run-up to the European Parliament elections, one thing is strikingly clear while watching people in an outdoor shopping district on a recent sunny afternoon in Amsterdam. No one is even paying attention to the election billboards. "I am not going to vote next week," 27-year old Marieke van der Ven told the German Press Agency dpa. "Normally, I would vote for the leftist Liberal D'66. But, in the European elections, they joined forces with the rightist Liberal VVD. I think that is absurd. So why should I even bother? Last month, his University of Amsterdam Centre for Politics and Communication, along with the polling agency TNS NIPO conducted a study that showed 61 per cent of the Dutch support EU membership - but only 24 per cent have confidence in Brussels' institutions. "The Dutch are afraid the European Union is becoming too large. They fear losing their cultural identity. They are also unhappy with the European Union's functioning." The Dutch have meanwhile approved the new Lisbon treaty by Parliamentary majority.
On June 4, the Netherlands is one of the first two of 27 EU nations to enter the voting boots in the Euro elections. With just one week to go, only 30 per cent of the countries' electorate say they will cast their vote - an all-time low.
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