Chapter 3. The Council of Europe Horst Schade’s article, however, is from 1995 and development has continued. Research has shown that “[i]n Europe, the change from restrictive attitudes towards dual citizenship to dual citizenship tolerance follows the global trend, with 47 per cent of states having tolerant policies in 1960 to over 70 per cent in 2017”.518 Dual or multiple nationality is, however, not always viewed as unproblematic or uncontroversial in European countries. In 2007, for instance, much attention was paid to the dual nationality of Dutch politicians. Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom, criticized different politicians with dual nationality. He viewed their dual nationality as undesirable and unacceptable because it could appear as if these people have dual loyalty, which could lead to conflicts of interests.519 In light of what the Dutch Constitution says on these matters in its provisions regarding suffrage and the right to be elected or appointed to a public office520, these objections are, however, constitutionally unjustified.521 How did the ECN then deal with these developments regarding the desirability of dual and multiple nationality? The answer seems perfectly tailored for a more general legal instrument relating to nationality matters that should be able to coexist with the 1963 CoE Convention522 and take into account developments on multiple nationality: the ECN remains neutral towards multiple nationality.523 As such, states can be parties to both the ECN and the 1963 CoE Convention; the ECN “neither modifies nor is incompatible with the 1963 [CoE] Convention”.524 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 Explanatory Report to the European Convention on Nationality (Strasbourg, 6 November 1997, CETS No. 166) para 8. Maarten Vink, Arjan Schakel, David Reichely, Ngo Chun Luk & Gerard-René de Groot, ‘The International Diff usion of Expatriate Dual Citizenship’ (2019) 7 Migration Studies 362, 369. Kamerstukken II 2006/07, 30891, no. 22. See Arts 3 & 4 of the Dutch Constitution (Grondwet voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, Stb. 2019, 33). See also Ernst Hirsch Ballin, ‘Commentaar op artikel 3 van de Grondwet’ in Ernst Hirsch Ballin & Gert-Jan Leenknegt, Artikelsgewijs Commentaar op de Grondwet [Commentary on the Constitution] (Nederlandrechtsstaat.nl 2021) <www.nederlandrechtsstaat.nl/grondwet/artikel. html?artikel=3##artikel3> accessed 26 May 2021; Gert-Jan Leenknegt, ‘Commentaar op artikel 4 van de Grondwet’ in Ernst Hirsch Ballin & Gert-Jan Leenknegt (eds), Artikelsgewijs Commentaar op de Grondwet [Commentary on the Constitution] (Nederlandrechtsstaat.nl 2021) <www. nederlandrechtsstaat.nl/grondwet/artikel.html?artikel=4&categorie=&auteur=&trefwoord=&1=1##a rtikel4> accessed 26 May 2021. Note that 12 states ratified the 1963 CoE Convention. The majority of these states have, however, denounced the treaty or denounced chapter I of it. See in more detail CoE Treaty Office, ‘Chart of Signatures and Ratifications of Treaty 043’ <https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/ conventions/treaty/043/signatures?p_auth=cn3Ehlrw> accessed 26 May 2021. See eg Lisa Pilgram, International Law and European Nationality Laws (EUDO Citizenship Observatory 2011) 5, 7; CoE, Explanatory Report to the European Convention on Nationality (Strasbourg, 6 November 1997, CETS No. 166) para 97. CoE, Explanatory Report to the European Convention on Nationality (Strasbourg, 6 November 1997, CETS No. 166) para 12, see also Art 26 ECN and the corresponding paras 137–139 of the aforementioned Explanatory Report. Intersentia 103