Following the completion of Croatia’s accession negotiations with the European Union and the signing of the accession Treaty, the country will hold a referendum this Sunday, 22 January 2012, to decide if it will become the EU’s 28th Member State. The President of the European People’s Party (EPP), Wilfried Martens, expressed his thoughts on Sunday’s vote:
 
“The people of Croatia are called this Sunday for a historic vote that will change the course of the country. Twenty years after Croatia gained its independence, the EPP and most Europeans will eagerly follow this Sunday’s decision of the Croatian people, which will surely be guided by their nation’s best interest. It has always been my belief that Europe will become more complete with the accession of Croatia, so I truly hope that on Sunday the country will embrace with confidence its European future and finally become a proud 28th EU Member State,” the EPP President underlined.
 
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank former Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and the HDZ for the tremendous work over the years in Croatia’s EU accession process, as well as the work and support of the HSS and all other pro-EU parties and politicians in Croatia,” Wilfried Martens added.
 
Note to editors:
The EPP is the largest and most influential European-level political party of the centre-right, which currently includes 74 member-parties from 39 countries, the Presidents of the European Commission, European Council, and European Parliament, 16 EU and 5 non-EU heads of state and government, 13 members of the European Commission and the largest Group in the European Parliament.

For more information:
Kostas Sasmatzoglou, EPP Spokesman, Tel. +32-2-2854147
Javier Jiménez, EPP Senior and Communications Press Officer, Tel. +32-475480446