On 31 March 2016, one of the main initiators of the Dutch referendum on the Association Agreement (AA) of the European Union (EU) with Ukraine, admitted the reasons for organizing the referendum were instrumental. The main goal is to either dissolve the EU or make the Netherlands leave the EU. This remark confirms earlier remarks of other organizers. The referendum was announced last year in October, after enough signatures were collected for the referendum to be hold. The Dutch will go to the polls next week on Thursday 6 April for the referendum vote. Recent polls indicate that a majority of the Dutch will vote against the AA, with 54% being against the vote, 36% in favour and about 10% unsure. For the vote to be valid, 30% of the electorate will have to vote. 

After a year of waiting, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has finally delivered on long-overdue anti-corruption measures and other promises. On the 31st of March, Abadi trimmed the size of his cabinet from 22 ministers to 16 and submitted a list of 14 new names for parliamentary approval. He kept only his defence and interior ministers due to security reasons. After claims to instigate these transformations six weeks earlier but yet again delaying, street protests had broken out under the lead of anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and an ultimatum for 30 March was given by the Iraqi Parliament. As Abadi faced a potential vote-of-no-confidence, his decisions to form a technocrat government amount to a victory for Mr. Sadr and his massive support both inside and outside the ‘Green Zone’ (governmental quarter of the Parliament and Embassies).

As the UK referendum in regards to the question of the UK remaining a member of the EU draws near, the government published the phrasing of the referendum question and guidelines regarding the vote to the public. The date of the referendum was set to be June 23, 2016. According to the last six polls, advertised by the UK media channels, favoring the UK remaining in the EU opinion leads over leaving by 51%-49%.

Following the EU-India Summit, a wide array of issues were mentioned on which the EU and India would work closer, such as security, trade, infrastructure, human rights, business, science and climate change. India’s role in the region was emphasized as a security player. Although a main objective, no huge progress was announced with regards to the free trade agreement between the countries, apart from a remark that they would "re-engage in discussions". The Summit was overshadowed by terrorism. Leaders condemned the terrorist attacks of 22 March in Brussels and made clear they would step up security cooperation to tackle terrorism.

Resuming negotiations on a free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and India is the main objective of the 13th EU-India Summit that will be held in Brussels. Furthermore, the EU-India Agenda for Action 2020 and the priorities of their strategic partnership will be discussed. Other issues on the agenda are migration and mobility, access to drinking water, joint initiatives in the field of energy and tackling climate change. Leaders of EU and India will also focus on the current main challenges to international security, such as terrorism and the situation in Ukraine.

On 29 March, during yet another phase in the political and economic crisis Brazil is facing, the main coalition partner Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) withdrew their support of the current coalition that is being led by Presdent Dilma Rousseff and her Workers' Party (RT). The remaining ministers of the PMDB are expected to resign. The ruling coalition has now lost her majority in the National Congress. The move might prompt smaller coalition partners to abandon the coalition as well and increases the likelyhood President Dilma Rousseff will be impeached, a decision that will be taken by the Senate in the following months.