DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

10 May 2026
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Partner content
  • Podcast
  • Advertise
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Politics
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Partner content
  • Podcast
  • Advertise
  • About us
    • Donate
    • Team
    • Advertise
    • Contact us
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Coalition stands firm: no referendum over plans to scrap referendum law

February 21, 2018
The Dutch papers the day after the Ukraine referendum result

The coalition government is pressing ahead with its plans to scrap advisory referendums from the statute books and will not sanction a referendum on the plans, home affairs minister Kajsa Ollongren told MPs on Tuesday evening.

The minister came under particularly heavy fire during a second stormy debate on the issue because her party D66 had for a long time made referendums a central part of their policy.

Opposition parties are furious that Ollongren has refused to allow a referendum on the plan even though her position has been upheld by the Council of State.

However, a motion of no confidence in the minister, put forward by Forum voor Democratie leader Thierry Baudet, was only supported by the anti-Islam PVV and the pro-animal PvdD.

MPs will vote on the decision to scrap referendums on Thursday, after which it will be referred to the upper house of parliament.

There has only been one advisory referendum since the legislation was introduced several years ago – the 2016 vote on the EU’s treaty with Ukraine. Some 2.5 million people voted in the referendum, taking the turnout just over the 30% required for the result to have legal standing.

One more referendum will take place – on giving new phone and internet tapping powers to the security services – at the same time as the local elections on March 21.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Politics
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Feyenoord secure Champions League spot, Twente move up to third
Naturalist David Attenborough’s centennial celebrated at Artis
Cabinet pushes faster deportations and tighter border checks
Six Dutch nationals held in world’s biggest single cocaine bust
Podcast: The Keep Calm And Sail To Tenerife Edition
NewsHomeEconomyPoliticsArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
Partner content
Advertise
About usDonateTeamAdvertiseContact usWriting for Dutch NewsPrivacyNewsletter
© 2026 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you with up-to-date news about this month's Dutch general election.

Our thanks to everyone who donates regularly to Dutch News. It costs money to produce our daily news service, our original features and daily newsletters, and we could not do it without you.

If you have not yet made a donation, or did so a while ago, you can do so via these links

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now