There is a saying that every people deserve the government they get and I think that principle would equally apply to constitutions. The Dutch firmly rejected the Euro-constitution, but failed to debate the next steps or come up with a credible alternative. Both the politcal parties and the voters decided to further ignore the issue and did so at their peril. That inherent weakness was not lost on the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso who visited The Hague last week and made it very clear what the next steps should be:

"The Dutch government signed the constitutional treaty and must also do everything it can to have it ratified by parliament," Mr Barroso told journalists on the eve of his visit.

[ … ]

Mr Barroso believes it would be unwise to resubmit an amended agreement to voters in a referendum, as this would probably lead to a second rejection … ”

Barroso’s arrogance in this matter is stunning as it manages to go well beyond the usual EU-attitude that argues that you should run enough referenda until you get the result you want. According to the EU chief the Dutch can do without any further direct consultations with the electorate and ratify the document without further ado.

The new center-left coalition which will be inaugurated in the next week or so has also avoided a clear stance and decided to refer the entire constitutional matter to the Council of State, a governmental advisory body. Barroso’s performance is an indication from which direction the wind is currently blowing and it would not be all that surprising to see the Dutch cave in, step by step. A mix of inaction and a need to re-establish some of their lost status and influence in Brussels may yet do the trick.