For and Against EU membership Croatian referendum brochure released by the government
Media in Croatia (and abroad) is abuzz with the high percentage of casted votes delivering a “Yes to EU” vote. 66.27 % Yes votes counted by midnight 22 January 2012 (Croatia’s official electoral office results).
Looking further at those figures:
a) TOTAL number of registered voters at counted polling places – 4 488 938
b) TOTAL number of registered voters that voted – 1 958 709 or 43.63%
c) TOTAL number of valid votes from b) above – 1 947 651 (99.44%)
d) TOTAL number of polling places processed to midnight – 99. 81%
The reality is that around 44% of all voters in Croatia turned up to vote at the referendum.
This was among the lowest turnouts in any of the EU states that have held accession referendums before they joined (in its day Hungary had 46%)
Regardless of this, the Yes vote of 66.27% of votes cast (add a small figure to this as counting of a relatively minor number of votes, domestic and from the Diaspora, is still to be processed in the coming days) is in accordance with national referendum laws/constitution valid as there is no minimum threshold of total number of votes cast for results to be valid.
Translated into actual people or registered voters in Croatia the referendum results point to the fact that only 28.64% of all Croatian voters said Yes to the EU membership.
This makes the referendum victory a bitter and concerning one, indeed.
It says more about the great divide among Croatians when it comes to joining the European Union than anything else.
Not even the “alluring” arguments of the government’s Yes campaign, not even its blackmailing arguments managed to move the majority of registered voters into casting their vote. One simply must ask why and seek the answer; if not now then in the near future.
The opportunity that the governments and mainstream Croatian political parties had in the past year or so (when the negotiations and requirements in the accession to EU process picked up on speed) to strengthen the grassroots of democratic process – personal/individualised ownership and responsibility in the working democracy – has been squandered on monocular and often blackmailing and sweet-talking pro-EU campaigns. These seem to have confused many people, made them dig their heels in as protest, more than helping them understand so that their personal decision making comes at relative ease.
For a long time the negotiations for accession to EU membership had been riddled with obstacles imposed by the EU (see Timeline: Croatia link on this website), generating palpable and widespread bitterness and distrust in EU among the people.
Suddenly (2011), the EU turned to beckoning Croatia into its bosom with accolades for Croatia’s achievements.
With the horrible Homeland war (1991-1995) still fresh in memories, with a great deal of outstanding matters to still be resolved in pursuing justice for war victims, the governments and mainstream political parties never thought to promote understanding among the grassroots (the people) of this colossal turnaround in EU’s views about Croatia.
Distrust in politicians by a majority of citizens is evident in the low turnout for the referendum. It seems that the enthusiasm to participate in the democratic process at the level of every individual citizen (the grassroots) seen in developed democracies does not yet exist in Croatia. It does not exist, to my opinion, because the Croatian mainstream political parties still continue to thrive on “political elitism”, separating themselves from the grassroots.
On commenting the referendum result Croatia’s Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said: “This is a historic moment, and could be a turning point in our history“.
Well, it is a historic moment but not in the way that Milanovic may be thinking. In 1991, 94% of all Croatia’s voters voted to secede from communist Yugoslavia. In 2012, in effect, 28.64% of them voted to join the EU!
And is likely to provide fodder for continued political instability and disenchantment among the people at Croatia’s grassroots.
Commenting on the referendum results Croatia’s foreign minister Vesna Pusic said: “With this, we leave behind political instability, but the rest will depend on our ability and creativity.”
Obviously, I do not agree with her as the overwhelming number of Croatian people who in 1991 voted for an independent Croatia had decided to abstain from participation in the referendum and that fact alone suggests that there is still a great deal of work to be done in Croatia on individual ownership and participation, by voting, in the whole-country direction and welfare.
On a positive note, Croatia has achieved significant progress in aligning its modern laws and practices with those found in the European Union and western democracies. And perhaps the membership in EU albeit with lukewarm, even seemingly cold in many instances, sentiments from the grassroots will actually do what Croatian politicians should have done themselves: assist the Croatian people in realising how each and every person is so very important. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb), B.A.,M.A.Ps. (Syd)