membership referendum referendum accession held january croatia finished accession membership negotiations june signed treaty accession december setting course 28th member state constitution croatia requires binding referendum held political union reducing national sovereignty european_union membership december preliminary decision accession determined referendum held january accession referendum referendum held croatia croatian independence referendum held years earlier croatian accession referendum campaign officially began january yes vote supported political parties government larger opposition parties croatia largest parties joint support membership existed croatian set informal alliance aimed achieving membership strategic goal croatian foreign policy opposition croatian accession voiced non parliamentary parties pro membership campaign included television promotional videos addresses leading government opposition politicians information household croatia announced cost million opinion polling regularly carried different agencies supporting membership ranged charge vote organization ballot counting result publication accession referendum passed votes cast support proposed joining invalid blank votes passed croatian counties greatest support referendum recorded counties respectively lowest support accession recorded votes cast proposal average official turnout referendum highest official recorded city respectively result binding consequence ratified accession treaty march outcome welcomed political parties represented croatia parliament right wing politicians objected low turnout consider loss independence background croatia applied european_union membership recommended making official candidate early granted candidate country status croatia accession negotiations originally set march began october year croatia completed accession negotiations june december signed treaty accession changing status candidate country prepared 28th member state ratification process current member states expected concluded end june croatia accession expected place july addition ratification current member states article constitution croatia requires binding referendum held sovereignty issues membership voting issues tasked referendum voting organization ballot counting result publication committee scheduled referendum vote january starting lasting regular polling stations croatia croatian military units croatian diplomatic missions abroad croatian vessels prisons polling stations referendum polling stations grouped single district voters traveling abroad permitted vote croatian diplomatic missions croatian presidential elections initial instructions allow voters croatia away place residence vote referendum allow ballots croatian election supervision requested authorities correct restriction removed january voters permitted register vote croatia away legal residence registration possible january person mail registration process completed early january ahead referendum voters voter registry parliamentary presidential elections defined polling stations appearance immediate surroundings metres feet away prohibiting campaigning displaying promotional materials elections croatia unlike croatian elections mandatory halt campaigning referendum appointed approximately observers monitor referendum voting announced start publishing voting results web site hours polling stations croatia closed expect determine referendum outcome midnight proposed question supported simple majority voting proposal considered passed result binding croatian constitution referendum passed required croatian accession treaty amendments constitution provide valid regardless actual turnout referendum proposal failed repeated months year estimated referendum rejection cost croatia approximately billion lost funding date november decided hold accession referendum days treaty signed treaty signed december referendum consequently originally scheduled january november proposed hold accession referendum simultaneously referendum aimed altering general referendum rules days parliamentary elections early december suggested recognized future minister foreign referendum postponed march allow better preparation poll suggestion soon followed similar request referendum postponed mid february later request supported major trade unions request stated poor information provided citizens procedures voter registration away voter permanent residence unclear directions voting abroad legal provisions specifically defining composition ballot counting commissions provisions referendum vote monitoring partisan non partisan foreign monitors legal provisions referendum funding state budget appropriate funds cover referendum expenses legal provisions funding pro referendum campaign allowing campaign lack restrictions campaigning day referendum union support request government ultimately putting forward referendum altering conditions citizens changing number required time allowed gather signatures earlier agreed request postpone election thousand signatories petition government demanding referendum postponed yugoslavia returned final verdict case generals cited concerns support describe biased questioned favoured nations december preliminary decision membership determined accession referendum held january furthermore referendum question presented time preliminary accession decision supported mps mps debate preceded vote mps requested accession referendum postponed months order allow broader discussion accession specific concern croatia lose elements sovereignty requested present voters effects treaty lisbon croatia referendum held parliamentary decision hold referendum january supported mps mps croatian labour_party mps voting decision labour party advocated referendum february order time provide information consequences membership referendum question announced newly elected prime minister designate simple bare membership european_union accession referendum referendum held croatia croatian independence referendum campaign croatian accession referendum campaign officially started january declaration aimed providing croatian citizens clear transparent information accession negotiations membership campaign included television promotions addresses leading politicians president croatia prime minister foreign minister government members prime minister opposition leader supported referendum addresses telephone information set million information prepared household country finally accession treaty negotiation documents governmental report accession negotiations published online original documents announced campaign cost million leading parliamentary political parties croatia jointly supported accession group called croatian set informal alliance aimed achieving membership strategic goal croatian foreign policy opposition referendum voiced political party holding single seat claiming little information provided voters party opposition voiced non parliamentary parties substantial opposition accession came demanded government fund television campaign membership printed advocating rejecting accession party organized activities locations country aimed referendum proposal rejection parliamentary election campaign declared party advocating rejection accession failed win single seat receiving votes opposition croatian membership came group non parliamentary political parties organized alliance croatia croatian claiming croatian independence alliance december protest drew people government campaign criticized having poor promotional videos especially lacking value final days campaign marked events support opposition joining set information event protest accession main city square drew arrests occurred called citizens vote referendum reminding croatia european culture directly advocating position supported joining favour said event represents great opportunity croatia contrast accession opponents request postpone referendum released urged citizens croatia vote referendum said vote favour joining opinion polls opinion polling croatian membership regularly carried agencies polls overall indicated support croatian membership support ranged highest support half november lowest level membership support reported april wake guilty verdict early january advocating voting referendum called croatian reported contracted canadian company unknown croatian public called conduct poll issue stated polled referendum declined answer poll question said apparent gross results results recent polls government manipulation results accession referendum passed votes cast support membership croatia blank invalid votes croatian citizens voting single constituency referendum purposes published results individual counties cities municipalities referendum passed croatian counties greatest support referendum recorded counties respectively lowest support accession recorded votes cast proposal croatian voted support cities municipalities croatia voted referendum proposal county counties single municipality counties average turnout referendum figure includes voters living abroad turnout comprise total croatian electorate highest recorded city respectively lowest turnout croatia recorded turnout threshold referendum legally valid low turnout attributed poor voter registry maintenance registry allegedly contains voters poor database maintenance especially registry death certificates change residence records allegation supported census poor voter records subsequently cited cause low formal turnout exceeded later estimated actual turnout croatia reactions domestic result announcement president commented day great significance croatia defining nation european future prime minister welcomed decision historic decision said referendum represented turning point croatia speaker said new chapter croatian history better fortune nation croatian minister economy concluded croatia credit rating downgraded referendum passed stated referendum passed good opportunity upgrade rating minister finance stated pleased result voter turnout disagreed credit rating saved result everybody counted croatian entry foreign minister commented result good news europe faced internal problems speaker said low turnout caused external factors debt crisis europe loss confidence croatian political parties institutions speaker parliament added good voted join croatian foreign minister commented result especially important nation youth croatian president stated croatia competitive use funds adding happy entering commented claims joining entering new yugoslavia saying think yugoslavia renewed president argued referendum illegitimate croatian voters taken referendum voted entry croatia warned croatian voters supported joining added croatian citizens shown distrust right wing politician stated government destroyed concept croatian citizens created impression croatia unable govern stated government brought croatia decaying organization illegitimate way adding referendum result defeat croatian independence challenge validity court march deadline received appeals challenging referendum legality ruled international bodies european_union president stated salute decision croatian voters stated membership bring croatia new opportunities contribute stability prosperity states bosnia members presidency welcomed results referendum expressing expectation croatia representative yugoslavia member germany german chancellor referendum outcome stated germany anticipated entry joy ireland minister foreign affairs trade congratulated croatian people passing referendum accession montenegro president congratulated croatian president called historic decision enter serbia serbian president congratulated croatian people decision enter concluded act significant croatia future positive signal region stated croatian entry easier serbia countries region enter minister foreign affairs congratulated croatian people successful referendum note sent minister foreign croatia minister said note croatia remains model balkan states aspiring membership referendum croatia people represents member european_union momentum important drive balkan countries aiming great european family prime minister congratulated croatia strategic decision importance europe region added entry solution problems makes easier solve united_kingdom stated decision croatian citizens join added hoped croatia member july aftermath referendum outcome croatian parliament ratified accession treaty unanimously votes favour march
Croatian European Union membership referendum, 2012