Here are the main arguments deployed by the "yes" and "no" camps as the Netherlands prepares to vote Wednesday in a referendum on the European Union's first-ever constitution.

A vote against the treaty, which opinion polls predict, would drive a second nail into its coffin after its rejection by French voters at the weekend.

The ballot is the first national referendum in the Netherlands in more than two centuries, and many voters see it as their first opportunity to give their opinion about the development and pace of European integration.

According to observers, many of the possible "no" voters are motivated by the same gripes as the French: opposition to EU enlargement, fear of identity loss, and dissatisfaction with their government.

THE "YES" CAMP

Among the more than 5,000 eligible voters questioned by the Maurice de Hond institute who said they would vote "yes" in the referendum:

- 62 percent said the constitution will improve the overall situation in the Netherlands.

- 56 percent said the EU provides the Netherlands with more advantages than disadvantages.

- 38 percent said they approved of the constitution document itself.

In a last televised appeal late Tuesday, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende urged Dutch voters to approve the text, telling them: "If you want to move the economy forward you must vote 'yes'."

"I believe a 'no' vote is not in the interest of the Netherlands nor in the interest of Europe," Balkenende said in a televised interview late Tuesday.

He tried to allay fears of a loss of Dutch identity by stressing that "the Netherlands will keep its own role and its own responsibility in Europe."

THE "NO" CAMP

Among those who said they would vote "no" in the referendum:

- 48 percent said they disapproved of the constitution document itself.

- 48 percent said the constitution would likely worsen the situation in the Netherlands.

- 43 percent said they disliked the arguments of the "yes" side.

- 40 percent said they were opposed to EU enlargement. The bloc last year expanded from 15 to 25 member states by taking in 10 mainly eastern European nations, while others, such as Bulgaria and Romania, are in the process of joining.

- 40 percent said they fear the constitution would pave the way for Turkey, a mainly Muslim nation which has just been given approval to start a lengthy accession process, to become an EU member.

- 38 percent said they disapproved of Dutch politicians in general.

- 30 percent said they disapproved of the Dutch government.

Analysts say most Dutch people believe a "no" vote should lead to a drastic change in the way the bloc is run, with EU institutions in Brussels perceived as having too much influence on domestic issues in the Netherlands.

According to pollsters, loss of influence, a perception that the larger EU nations have increasing power and that a political elite pays little attention to the interests of the population, are major reasons motivating opponents of the treaty.