Czechs voted overwhelmingly to join the European Union

[Bereta_Eder]

Czechs Vote to Join European Union
Sun Jun 15, 4:49 AM ET

By VANESSA GERA, Associated Press Writer

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Czechs voted overwhelmingly to join the European Union (news - web sites) in a referendum that ended Saturday, a move that supporters said would bring a definite end to isolation brought on by decades of communist rule.


AP Photo


Reuters
Slideshow: Czech Republic




Final results from two days of voting showed that 77.33 percent of voters approving joining the union, while 22.67 voted "no," according to the state Statistical Office, which handles the vote count. Turnout was 55.21 percent.


The vote opens the way for the Central European nation to be part of the largest expansion in the union's history next May, when 10 new members are due to join the 15-member bloc.


"This is a victory for the Czech people," Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla, an enthusiastic EU supporter, told reporters after polls closed Saturday.


"The Czech Republic will ... be part of a family of European nations and exercise its right to live on equal footing with others," Spidla added, alluding to fears that Czech interests could be overshadowed by those of the larger members of the EU, such as Germany.


Echoing Spidla's enthusiasm, Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda said the vote marked "the conclusion of an era of our history following the fall of the totalitarian regime."


Many Czechs believe joining the EU will bring long-term economic benefits and raise living standards for future generations.


"I voted yes because things can't get worse than they are now," said Jiri Ruzicka, a 38-year-old pub owner, after casting his ballott in Prague on Saturday.


Some, however, had argued that the country — which overthrew communist rule in 1989 and split from Slovakia in 1993 — isn't yet ready to hand over its fate to an outside power. Some fear costs could soar after joining the EU.


So far Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia have backed joining the EU in referendums. Latvia and Estonia will hold referendums in September. Of the 10 candidate states, only Cyprus has decided not to hold a vote on membership.


In Brussels, Belgium, the EU Commission praised the outcome of the Czech vote, calling it a decision "to end decades of divisions and achieve peace, stability and prosperity on our continent."


"This is a good day for Europe, another proof that our peoples belong together," Romano Prodi, the commission's president, said in the statement.


The binding referendum, held on Friday and Saturday, was the first ever held in the Czech Republic and had no turnout requirement.


But turnout lower than 50 percent would have been an embarrassment to Spidla, and could have deprived his Cabinet of the support it will need to push through tough reforms needed for membership.


"It (the vote) is also a victory and a great success for the government," Svoboda, the foreign minister, said.


Spidla enjoys only a fragile majority — one vote — in the 200-seat lower chamber of Parliament. The Cabinet, formed by the left-leaning Social Democrats and two smaller center-right parties, has declared EU membership to be its main goal.









InDeep
Last Night A DJ Saved My Life

Last night a DJ saved my life
Last night a DJ saved my life yeah

Cause I was sitting there bored to death
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I don't know what I'd do yeah

Last night a DJ saved my life
Last night a DJ saved my life from a broken heart
Last night a DJ saved my life
Last night a DJ saved my life with a song

You know I hopped into my car didn't get very far no
Before I had you on my mind why be so unkind
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But I was trapped in love with you
And I didn't know what to do
But when I turned on my radio
I found out all I needed to know

Check it out

Last night a DJ saved my life
Last night a DJ saved my life from a broken heart
Last night a DJ saved my life
Last night a DJ saved my life with a song
Last night a DJ saved my life
Last night a DJ saved my life from a broken heart
Last night a DJ saved my life
Last night a DJ saved my life with a song

Hey listen up to your local DJ
You better hear what he's got to say

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And if your man gives you trouble
just you move out on the double
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said way goes trouble down the drain

Well alright

Dub time

Last night a DJ saved my life (echoey!!)

There's not a problem that I can't fix
Cause I can do it in the mix
Cause I can do it in the mix
In the mix
In the mix
In the mix
In the mix
In the mix
In the mix
In the mix
In the mix
In the mix
In the mix

[Az]

[Cruddy]

Oh. Does this mean Czech Bud will be cheaper? If so I'm all for it.

If not I suppose better get on the Brit Booze tour to Prague (just think Paiktis, every Brit that goes Czech is one less that goes Greek).

[Bereta_Eder]

For a long time now the Greek tourism industry has been focusing on so called "high yield tourism". That menas that poor bums are discouraged to come to Greece and only rich tourists are encouraged

The rational was that backpack tourists create more problems than GDP.

The plan is working cause ther are more and more high yield tourists and less poor bums tourists.

So drunken Brits (and others) can go to Chechia and get boozed upo and rich elderly docile tourists can come to Greece and err, do vacations, I guess.

[Az]

"Chechia"?

Chechnia?

[Bereta_Eder]

Ôóå÷ßá
Tsehia

[MikeH]

Cool. When I was in Prague 2 summers ago all the local students I talked to really wanted to join the EU so they could get the chance to study at western european universities. Actually two of them already were but only for a year not their full course.

[Dr Kellogg]

Good news. Welcome in the Union!

[Spiffor]

Glad to see there is a real support for the Union. I feared the "antis" would be many more in the East. It appears the "antis" have preferred not to care about it (huge lack of participation) rather than to vote no.
Sad turn of events so many people aren't interested at all.

[DinoDoc]

So did the Turks. We know what became of that.

[Q Classic]

are the czechs going to join the euro zone any time soon?

and the turks... they don't belong in the eu. they're in frikkin' asia, for chrissakes...

of course, the turks don't like to think so.

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
are they going to join the euro zone?

Unless I'm mistaken all new 10 EU members will join the eurozone.

[D' Artagnan]

A good thing

Long live the Union !

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
they're in frikkin' asia, for chrissakes...

So is Russia. What's your point?

[Q Classic]

eh, the largest cities in russia lie in europe, as does the focus of the nation, as does most of the population.
thus, i'd say it's part of europe, politically.

in contrast, the largest city in turkey is split between europe and asia, the focus is split between europe and asia, and most of the population lies in asia. as does the capital.
thus, it's asian, not european.