Enlargement jitters abound despite huge “Yes” vote in Slovenia

Date: 27/03/03

By David Cronin

AMID the saturation coverage of war in Iraq, the fact that some 90% of Slovenia's voters said "Yes" to EU membership in a poll last weekend was easy to miss.

That makes it the second candidate state after Malta to back joining the Union. At the same time, 66% of Slovenians backed joining NATO.

The omens might be looking good for enlargement, but pro-integration religious figures are not taking anything for granted in Lithuania, which votes on 11 May.

The bishops there have warned: "Failing to become equal members of the community of strong nations, we would remain a mere toy in the hands of the powerful ones."

The main Christian churches in the Czech Republic are also actively supporting the government's "Yes" campaign (referendum: 15-16 June). One man who remains unconvinced, though, is newly installed President Vaclav Klaus. The right-leaning economist argued this week that his compatriots have unrealistically high expectations about the benefits of entry and are not sufficiently aware of potentially adverse consequences.

The government in neighbouring Slovakia had faced accusations from EU diplomats that it had no coherent strategy for its referendum campaign. Better late than never, the Slovaks have now unveiled details of a four-week advertising campaign ahead of their 16-17 May poll. Featuring such slogans as "In is better than out", it will climax with concerts in Bratislava and Kosice three days before the vote.

Hungary is the next country to hold its referendum (12 April). Groups seeking a "No" vote have stepped up their rhetoric recently by portraying accession as akin to colonisation. Three eurosceptic groups, the Hungarian Land Protectors, Movement for a Free Hungary and Movement for a Better Hungary, argue that the EU will hurt both the country's economy and autonomy.

The Latvian government's plans to spend €1.6 million of taxpayers' money on debates in the media about the EU (referendum: 20 September) has drawn some criticism.

Anita Brauna, a columnist with the Diena newspaper, is sceptical of assurances that ministers will not try to influence the content of programmes or articles. "Even if the government does not interfere, the result will still be government-funded publicity," she writes.

"And may God grant that all of the media in Latvia are sufficiently honourable to make it clear that the stories have been paid for by the government."

Poland, meanwhile, has been given some advice by Dick Roche, Ireland's Europe minister and one of the key players in the campaign for its second Nice Treaty referendum.

Roche argued that Dublin was "seduced" by opinion polls before the first vote in 2001, which, contrary to the pollsters' indications ended in a victory for the "No" side.

Poles should be wary of falling into the same trap, he added.

About two-thirds of Polish voters are expected to say "Yes" but there are fears many could use the 8 June referendum to vent their frustration with a tarnished government.

Leszek Miller's ruling coalition has been rocked both by the recent departure of the agrarian Peasants Party and an ongoing scandal over claims by a media firm that it was told it could shape new press laws if it coughed up a multi-million euro bribe.

Some 90% of Slovenia's voters said 'Yes' to European Union membership in a referendum on 23 March 2003, making it the second candidate state after Malta to back joining the European Union. At the same time, 66% of Slovenians backed joining NATO.