Frexit? Talk of EU Withdrawal Votes in France, Netherlands, Italy

EU Expected to Make British Departure Painful to Discourage Others

With the European Union still reeling after last night’s British referendum coming out solidly in favor of withdrawing from the Union, Euroskeptic movements elsewhere on the continent are gaining momentum, with calls for votes in several nations.

French presidential front-runner Marine Le Pen is openly threatening a “Frexit” vote if elected, saying she would push for negotiations to expand French sovereignty within the EU and, if unsuccessful, move straight on to leaving the union, saying Britain “is setting a precedent.”

If Dutch MP Geert Wilders has his way, the Netherlands would be the next to hold a referendum. Recent opinion polls in the Netherlands show a major in favor of holding such a referendum, and while there’s not an overall majority in favor of leaving yet, analysts believe the British departure will add to that movement.

Italy’s Northern League, another Euroskeptic group, is also calling for a law that would allow such a referendum to take place. The Italian constitution currently does not allow referenda on international agreements, so such a law change would need to take place before they could hold any sort of binding vote.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.