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Tom Cullem

Because, as so often has been the case, the EU and its minions in members government, doesnt give a tinkers curse with those in these alleged democracies really want.

If Juncker told me it was raining, I wouldnt pull the umbrella out until Id opened the window and checked for myself.

Well, Dutch voters, you backed off voting for the people who would never have agreed to this, and now you have your reward. The EU iron fits comes down again: our way or the highway.

Posted on 5/30/17 | 3:00 PM CEST

Oof. Common sense prevails in the Senate.

We need to support the Ukraina for ethical, moral, and geopolitical reasons. This is a way to do that that wont cost us very much but will help the Ukraina significantly.

Any concerns that this treaty is a backdoor to get another poor country into the EU have been adequately addressed by means of a claryfying treaty addendum.

So, there is no longer any reason to be against, and the Netherlands Senate just now agreed after the House earlier came to the same conclusion.

Alls well that ends well, one might say.

Not so for professional EU-bashers apparently. They are disappointed and as determined as ever to find fault with the EU no matter what. They are also determined never to let any facts or balanced reflection to get in their way.

Well, at least they are consistent and predictable.

Posted on 5/30/17 | 3:27 PM CEST

Well, another affirmation of the famous European values: the people vote in one way, and the government decides the opposite.

And consider that they are the same gentlemen who then hold political ethics lessons for the governments of Hungary and Poland !

Posted on 5/30/17 | 4:03 PM CEST

Together with Brexit and the Turkey escalation, thats now 3 major ongoing debates around a country bordering EU and wanting a deep EU trade agreement but without political union or freedom of movement. As an EU citizen, I continue to think there would be a lot of value in handling this through a regional FTA or customs union between EU / EFTA countries / UK / Turkey / Ukraine, without any goal of political union. Decision making on standards and regulations should not be centered around EU like EFTA is today, but it should have EU as one of the equal partners around the table. It could be an evolution of EFTA or a separate treaty altogether, that would probably be up to the EEA and EFTA members to decide.

In retrospect, I wish _that_ was the vision that Theresa May would have pushed for when she made her big Global Britain speech, positioning the UK as the leading EFTA member, pushing for trade without political union.

Posted on 5/30/17 | 4:07 PM CEST

@Jodocus4

The EU megaphone has spoken and as usual uses 100 words but 10 will do.

Posted on 5/30/17 | 4:18 PM CEST

The rest is here:
LATEST: Dutch Senate backs EU-Ukraine trade deal - POLITICO.eu