Croatia has no second thoughts about joining the European Union (EU) despite the continent’s economic crisis, and it supports enlarging the bloc even further to help bring about reconciliation in the once-warring Balkans, the country’s president said Friday.
Ivo Josipovic told The Associated Press in an interview that after 10 years of painful membership negotiations, Croatia “did not have the opportunity to choose the time” of its formal EU entry, which is set for Monday.
The EU is in deep financial turmoil and Croatia’s own economy has been in recession for five consecutive years, so the excitement of becoming the 28th member of the bloc has dimmed, though street festivities are planned starting Sunday.
“We are aware that we are not going to be perfect from the first of July,” Josipovic said. “But, together with the EU we have better opportunities to fight the economic crisis than by being alone.”
He added, Croatia sees the EU “primarily as a peace project, and then a common market and economy.” “That’s the reason we are supporting our neighbours as well to join the EU.”
Croatia is only the second of the six former Yugoslav states to join the EU, after Slovenia became a member in 2004.
Josipovic said Croatia wants to help its Balkan neighbours “politically and technically” gain EU membership.
Some EU countries, including Germany, have been reluctant about immediate further enlargement of the EU, primarily because of the ongoing financial crisis. Iceland has dropped its EU bid, while Britain is considering holding a referendum on whether to stay in the club.
The pro-EU voices in Croatia note that joining the bloc means Croatians could find jobs in more prosperous EU countries, that their country could attract more foreign investment, and that the EU’s leadership in Brussels could help keep widespread corruption and economic mismanagement in check.