Three years since his murder, maverick Pim Fortuyn's spirit still has a hold on Dutch politics.
The Dutch No in Wednesday's referendum on the EU constitution exposed Dutch anger over social welfare cuts, fears about Islamic fundamentalism and an anti-establishment rage the populist tapped into in 2002.
"The comet-like arrival of Pim Fortuyn was the first rendering of this discontent. Yesterday's massive No was the second," Algemeen Dagblad said yesterday, a day after the public resoundingly rejected a constitution that most major parties, including the centre-right government, had backed.
"Raised middle finger to the elite," the paper said in a headline above its analysis.
No Dutch government heads will roll, unlike in France where Sunday's "Non" forced the prime minister to resign, yet Dutch media warned its leaders not to ignore the electorate's "Nee".
"The result will not have a direct effect on these politicians. But the repercussions will probably linger, just as the rumble from Fortuyn in 2002 is still evident," said De Telegraaf.
The anti-immigration maverick who accused the Dutch political establishment of losing touch with the electorate was killed three years ago last month by an animal rights activist.
De Volkskrant advised politicians in The Hague to tone down their ambitions for Europe and suggested prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende should apply the brake in Brussels or face the consequences in the Dutch general election in 2007.
"The voters will know then what politicians have done with their verdict on Europe and will draw a lesson from that."
Mainstream politicians were already talking tougher.
Finance minister Gerrit Zalm said on Wednesday that the Dutch had rejected the EU charter because they were the highest per capita contributors to the EU budget.
"We pay too much," he said, adding that the No vote would probably strengthen the Dutch position in negotiations over the 2007-13 EU budget later this month.
The immediate aftermath of the Dutch No will be a parliamentary debate to consider the referendum, which was not binding but is expected to rule out Dutch ratification.
Wouter Bos, leader of the opposition Labour party, which also campaigned for a Yes, said he would present a motion for parliament to respect the public's No.
Leading No campaigner Geert Wilders, seen as Fortuyn's heir, urged Mr Balkenende to resign and call elections.