NETHERLANDS: CDA PARTY HOLDS DEBATE ON THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION IN RUN UP TO EUROPEAN REFERENDUM

Record ID: 584798

  • Title: NETHERLANDS: CDA PARTY HOLDS DEBATE ON THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION IN RUN UP TO EUROPEAN REFERENDUM
  • Date: 28th May 2005
  • Summary: (BN14) UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS (MAY 28, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF BEATRIX BUILDING WHERE CONGRESS TAKING PLACE 0.04 2. WIDE OF CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS 0.11 3. WIDE OF AUDIENCE SITTING 0.13 4. CLOSE UP OF BERNARD BOT, DUTCH FOREIGN MINISTER TAKING PART IN DEBATE 0.18 5. WIDE OF PARTICIPANTS SITTING ON STAGE 0.22 6. CLOSE UP OF JAN PETER BALKENENDE, DUTCH PRIME MINISTER, SITTING 0.28 7. WIDE OF SCREEN OF JEAN-LUC DEHAENE, VICE-CHAIRMAN, CONVENTION ON FUTURE OF EUROPE, AND FORMER BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER SPEAKING ON STAGE 0.33 8. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch) JEAN-LUC DEHAENE, VICE-CHAIRMAN, CONVENTION ON FUTURE OF EUROPE, AND FORMER BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER SAYING: "I would not understand that the Netherlands, who have clearly understood from the beginning why this European co-operation is necessary, that the Netherlands would not understand that this constitution gives a new opportunity for an enormous step forward. I am convinced there will be a huge 'Yes' in the Netherlands." 0.53 9. PAN OF PEOPLE APPLAUDING 0.58 10. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch) DEHAENE SAYING: "I hope we will have a 'Yes' on Sunday, and that we will have a 'Yes' on Wednesday, but I add that if we would by accident have a 'No' vote on Sunday then I give France a lesson on Wednesday!" 1.14 11. CLOSE UP OF AUDIENCE APPLAUDING 1.17 12. VARIOUS OF SCREEN WITH PRIME MINISTER BALKENENDE TALKING 1.23 13. WIDE OF BALKENENDE ON STAGE 1.28 14. SLV BALKENENDE SURROUNDED WITH MEDIA 1.32 15. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAN PETER BALKENENDE, DUTCH PRIME MINISTER SAYING: "I think at this moment it's not the right thing already to say, 'well there will be a 'No' in France', because there are so many positive arguments and I really hope that the French population will say 'Yes'. And of course it can lead to a 'Yes' or a 'No' and in both cases we have our own responsibility in the Netherlands and I try to convince the people to say 'Yes' because there are so many arguments to give a 'Yes' on Wednesday in the Netherlands." 1.57 16. CLOSE OF T-SHIRT OF MEMBER IN THE CONFERENCE READING 'DO YOU HAVE ANY BETTER IDEA'. 2.01 17. SLV MEMBER OF CONFERENCE SHAKING HANDS WITH BALKENENDE 2.04 18. SLV DUTCH FOREIGN MINISTER BERNARD BOT 2.06 19. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) DUTCH FOREIGN MINISTER BERNARD BOT SAYING: "I see that in the last few days the 'No' vote is losing ground, and that the 'Yes' vote is gaining considerable ground compared to what it was a few days ago, and I think if we continue on the same path, with the same vigour and dynamism and optimism, if we make it clear to the population, what they stand to gain, well I'm sure that it will be a 'Yes' both in France and the Netherlands. And even if it were to be a 'No' in France I am absolutely sure that the Dutch will not be influenced by the French vote." 2.38 20. VARIOUS OF YOUNGSTERS PLAYING DRUMS 2.56 21. SLV BACK OF T-SHIRT SAYING 'EUROPE DESERVES YES!' 3.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 12th June 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Reuters ID: LVA7RTSFSRRZRZIWL3GR7OMPF7G7
  • Story Text: Dutch leading party CDA holds debate on European
    constitution telling their members they believe Dutch will
    vote YES.



    On Saturday (May 28), one day before the French
    vote in a referendum on the European constitution, the
    leading Dutch Christian Democratic party, CDA, is holding
    a party congress to debate on the referendum to that is to
    be held on the same treaty in The Netherlands on Wednesday
    (June 1).

    After a debate between members of the European
    parliament and Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot, the
    party invited one of the founding fathers of the treaty,
    formal Belgium prime minister Jean-Luc Dehaene to give a
    speech to their members. Dehaene said that the constitution
    was a new opportunity for an enormous step forward. "I am
    convinced there will be a huge 'Yes' in the Netherlands,"
    Dehaene told the CDA congress, adding,
    "I hope we will have a 'Yes' on Sunday, and that we
    will have a 'Yes' on Wednesday, but I add that if we would
    by accident have a 'No' vote on Sunday then I give France a
    lesson on Wednesday!"
    While some voices in the Netherlands are calling for a
    'No' vote against the European constitution on Wednesday,
    the Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende is hopeful
    that the Dutch will say 'Yes'. "I try to convince the
    people to say 'Yes' because there are so many arguments to
    give a 'Yes' on Wednesday in the Netherlands," said
    Balkenende.

    Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot was even more
    positive, "I see that in the last few days the 'No' vote is
    losing ground, and that the 'Yes' vote is gaining
    considerable ground compared to what it was a few days ago,
    and I think if we continue on the same path, with the same
    vigour and dynamism and optimism, if we make it clear to
    the population, what they stand to gain, well I'm sure that
    it will be a 'Yes' both in France and the Netherlands. And
    even if it were to be a 'No' in France I am absolutely sure
    that the Dutch will not be influenced by the French vote,"
    said Bot.

    Some people say they will vote 'No' voters' because of
    other factors like the Euro and Turkey's possible entry to
    the EC.



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