Croatia votes for EU membership
23.01.2012
Croatia has voted in favour of becoming the 28th member of the European Union in a referendum held over the weekend.
With 99pc of the ballot boxes counted by yesterday evening, 66pc of voters had decided to approve EU accession. However, just 43.58pc of the electorate turned out to vote.
Croatia is expected to become a full member of the EU on 1 July 2013, subject to ratification by its own parliament and by the EU member states.
In a joint statement, José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, and Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, welcomed the result.
“Croatia's citizens have given their endorsement to European integration. We congratulate Croatia and its people on their choice: EU membership will open up new opportunities for them and help secure the stability and prosperity of their nation.
With this popular mandate, the Croatian government can now complete the remaining preparations for membership.
The upcoming accession of Croatia sends a clear signal to the whole region of South Eastern Europe. It shows that through political courage and determined reforms, EU membership is within reach. Today's positive vote is therefore good news for Croatia, good news for the region, and good news for Europe."
Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore also welcomed the outcome, saying that the Croatian people had taken a decision that “will forever change the path of their country, and change it, I firmly believe, for the better”.
“Less than 20 years after the conflict that engulfed the former Yugoslavia the Croatian people have rebuilt their country from devastation and displacement to become a prosperous, modern liberal democracy,” he said.
Gilmore said the positive result was also a vote of confidence in the EU and its future. “It is heartening for Ireland and the other EU member states to be reminded, at this difficult time, that membership of the European Union remains an attractive prospect for our neighbours,” he said.