One of the most influential Dutch newspaper NRC.next which was campaigning to “yes” vote for the EU-Ukraine Association, has suddenly changed its policy today and the day before the voting, urges to vote “against”. The reason is the scandal with Poroshenko’s offshores.
The newspaper writes that the row with Poroshenko’s offshores in the British Virgin Islands erupted after the publication by the international media of documents, confirming frauds of the Ukrainian President on tax evasion in his own country, and messed up the supporters of the EU-Ukraine Association.
“We knew that Ukraine is a corrupt country, but the fact that the president of this country avoids the Ukrainian taxation in the British Virgin Islands, became a discovery to us”, writes the influential Dutch newspaper.
“It’s almost a mortal blow, – said Harry van Bommel, a Member of the Dutch Parliament, an outspoken opponent of the treaty with Ukraine. – “The Chocolate King”, the symbolic leader of the state, moves out money from the country… This scandal is a perfect illustration of my thesis that in Ukraine is peanut politics”.
Expert-sociologist Peter Kanne believes that the turnout for the referendum on April 6 will be from 30 to 40%, that is, the vote will be recognized by the Government of the country as a fait accompli.