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CROATIA IS SET to become the 28th member state of the European Union after a significant majority of voters yesterday voted in favour of joining in a referendum.
Just over two-thirds of the electorate voted yes to joining the EU. However turnout was lower than expected.
The referendum ratified the formal assession treaty Croatia signed in December which signalled its intent to join the EU.
66.2 per cent voted in favour of the referendum while 33 per cent voted against. Invalid votes accounted for 0.60 per cent of the total vote.
The result was a slight increase on opinion polls before the vote, which had suggested that it would pass with around 56 to 60 per cent in favour. The referendum needed at least half plus one of the valid votes to pass.
Opponents had said that joining the EU would lead to a loss of sovereignty for the country. Croatia, a former Yugoslav republic, became an independent country less than two decades ago following a gruelling war.
The vote is a culmination of a decade of plans to join the EU; Croatia applied for EU membership on 21 February 2003.
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Welcome to the club.
…Got any money?
Good one. The eu will turn them upside down empty there pockets.
A bit like arriving late at a party to find the punch bowl empty and the place has been wrecked.
A beautiful and picturesque country. Hope it doesnt become too expensive now.
Great news for Croatia. Let’s not forget it’s not actually the EU which is imposing austerity, it’s the ECB. The Eurozone and EU are seperate entities, and the EU is not responsible for our current situation, in fact we’ve benefitted hugely from EU membership.
Croatia will now benefit from better social standards, better trading rights, freedom of movement, stronger opportunities for business, integrated defense, improved infrastructure and will be a member of the world’s second most powerful economy!
Easy to forget the benefits when they’re being overshadowed by the negativity…
Well it was either sign up now or be invaded in a few years!
Another fringe economy is fooled into supporting the Berlin dream !!
If they have money now – it will be well sorted for them within a few years !
Indeed a beautiful country – but ….
So was Ireland and Greece and Spain and….
Welcome hrvatska
Now that is what I call optimism.
The three men in the photo know that they are going to get plush jobs running Croatia for the EU. Another democracy bites the dust.
They need their heads examined!!!!!!
Its actually good news, The EU, as already posted, is not the Troika and lets not kid ourselves with the percieved German-Franco Axis, They are doing whats best for their countries and so should we. The government are spineless cowards who bow down to the bankers and creating fear of not doing so in the Irish public. France and Germany and the other members of the EU are not taking over Ireland it is just FF/FG/Lab reluctance to stand up for Ireland that has created this Mess. Good Luck Croatia as the EU actually is a great institution and although it needs reform the trade agreement etc. are in Croatia’s interest
I’d have to disagree. No country should be using the EU to pursue national interests at the expense of other Member States, like France is doing right now. EU should only be used to pursue pan-European interests. What’s the point of having a political and economic union if we’re not gonna cooperate and only try and screw each other over for a bit of extra cash?
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