Dutch set to reject EU constitution

The 'nee'-sayers of the Netherlands were expected to drive another nail into the coffin of the draft European Union constitution today as the Dutch voted in their first ever national referendum.

With opinion polls predicting that a majority approaching 60 per cent would reject the EU constitutional charter, Jan Peter Balkenende, the Prime Minister, made a last-minute plea for voters to back the constitution.

"Let’s not let ourselves be led by polls," he said. "Let’s hope that when they’re in the voting booth, people think about all the people that say this constitution would be a positive development...If you want to move the economy forward you must vote ’yes’."

Mr Balkenende was an early voter at his local station in Capelle aan den Ijssel, near Rotterdam, joking with reporters and photographers: "You did note correctly that that was a ’yes’ vote, right?"

He added: "The question is: do we want to have progress today or do we choose a standstill, and for me the choice is obvious."

After France's rejection of the treaty on Sunday, a Dutch 'no' vote would leave Europe's leaders without a back-up plan for what to do after two of the EU's 25 member states say they will not approve its new ground rules.