Netherlands: Dutch hit polling stations for referendum on EU-Ukraine deal

Residents of The Hague began arriving at polling booths early on Wednesday morning to vote in the Dutch referendum on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, a deal which if pushed through will further incorporate Ukraine into Europe.
While one Hague resident was positive about Dutch citizens being able to vote on the referendum, another explained that he voted no because of reported corruption in Ukraine. Ballot stations are open until 21:00 local time.
The referendum was initiated by a petition organised by the GeenStijl website, which received over 450,000 signatures last September. Under Dutch law, the government has to initiate a public vote on an issue if a petition contains over 300,000 signatures.
Latest polls suggest a large percentage of Dutch people oppose the agreement, despite calls by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to support the deal. The referendum will only be valid, if at least 30 per cent of the population hits the polls.