Pragmatism wins in Croatia

The Croatian Yes to the EU has more to do with economic pragmatism than genuine conviction, writes the liberal-conservative daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung: "In the traditionally sceptical Croatia EU membership is no cause for euphoria. The approbation at the polling booths has far more to do with the lack of better alternatives. The country has been badly hit by the economic crisis and hopes for generous subsidies from Brussels and urgently needed incentives for its sluggish economy. The government painted a dire picture of the consequences of a No: Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic prophesied a downgrading of the country's credit rating, higher financing costs, less investment, more layoffs and a threat to future pension payments."

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