In a referendum held on 22nd January, around 67% percent of Croatians have voted for their country to become the 28th member of the EU. „This is a historic moment, and could be a turning point in our history,“ stated Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic . Providing all 27 Member States ratify the accession, Croatia will become a member of the EU on 1st July 2013, becoming the second former Yugoslav state to do so after Slovenia.

However, the turnout of voters was only around 42%, which is a record low for a referendum of this nature and would suggest a certain apathy in the country towards EU membership. Zeljko Sacic, who had campaigned against membership, said that this turnout reflected “Croatia turning its back on the EU.” Certainly enthusiasm has waned in recent years, most probably due to the Eurozone crisis. Croatia itself has been hit hard by the global economic meltdown, with high levels of debt and unemployment, and thus joining a Union with several countries in dire straits economically may have lost its appeal for many. However, others point to the greater investment opportunities and access to wider job markets that membership will bring.

Image: Flickr/by Canolais, http://www.flickr.com/photos/canola...