Victorious Dutch opponents of the EU constitution refused to let up on a campaign to clip the wings of the European Union as they celebrated in restrained style after voters' stunning rejection of the charter.

Though the "no" camp took 61.6 percent of the vote, according to an unofficial result, Wednesday's referendum did not unleash parties in the streets of Amsterdam, which was massively against the treaty, much like the rest of the country.

Several hundred supporters of the far left Socialist Party, which had called for a "no" vote against the EU's free-market policies, cheered and hugged in a hall in Amsterdam's Artis Zoo as the first exit poll was announced.

But the rest of the country marked the result quietly.

There was little gloating from "no" campaigners appearing on radio and television. Instead, they reaffirmed their desire to carry on supporting the EU, provided the bloc's designs were less ambitious.

"We want to continue with Europe but we must give up this neo-liberal management and stop handing power to Brussels," said Socialist Party member of parliament Harry van Bommel on a television debate.

On the private channel RTL, the Socialist Party leader, Jan Marijnissen said he was "delighted by this excellent evening." Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, of the Christian Democrats, had "lost some credibility," he said.

At the other end of the political spectrum, member of parliament Andre Rouwvoet of the Protestant Christian Union, told public television: "We need a Europe with restricted powers, less ambitious, and which is limited to its essential tasks."

Populist Geert Wilders, who defected from the Liberals to form his eponymous far-right party with one seat in parliament, told NOS television he was "proud of the Dutch people".

"The European venture must slow down. The challenge now is to have a reflection on our role in Europe," he said.

But the Netherlands "can carry on the collaboration without a constitution."

His call for a pause for thought was backed by the right-wing populist List Pim Fortuyn (LPF), named after the slain politician who was the first to tap into the anti-immigrant mood in the country.

"After the 'non' in France, the 'nee' in the Netherlands and the likely 'no' in Britain and other countries, we cannot carry on as if nothing had happened," the LPF said in a statement.

"The key question is whether we want a Europe of sovereign states or a United States of Europe," the party said.

Nowhere was the "no" vote more successful, however, than in the tiny Dutch fishing port of Urk, where strict Protestants make up most of the population.

"The name of God is not at all mentioned in this constitution. For a community of such strong believers as ours, that is not acceptable and is very worrying," reverend Van Duijvenbode told Dutch news agency ANP.

In the small community with a population of just 16,000, the "yes" camp came away with a mere 8.4 percent of the votes, making Urk the greatest stronghold of treaty opponents in the Netherlands.