Slovenian PM: No reply from Zagreb

Mircea as such an EU enthusiast I'd expect you to get your facts right.

Again Iceland will probably join the EU in 2011, Croatian might also become a member state in 2011.

The proposed fast track EU entry of Iceland is probably the last opportunity for Croatia to avoid being lumped in with the 'balkan' states who have not entered yet.

I'd say the chances of Croatia joining are now about 50/50. But it won't help that Croatian opposition to the EU is growing day by day.

That is not such a problem in Iceland and further EU states have no objections to the entry of Iceland.

Mircea this might also be a good opportunity to explain your opinion on Turkey's application. Do you not think it unfair that this country has been forced to wait in the EU waiting room for many years now?

I'm not a particular supporter of Turkish entry to the EU but I know (French) racism / prejudice when I see it.

Mircae you are really naive if you think that any more states will be allowd in the EU before the Lisbon Treaty, remember the Irish said no? How do you think that Croatia can bypass that?

Iceland have not even applied for EU membership. With Icelands current economic crisis it is very doubtful if they would even be granted memebership even if they applied wich they have not. An aspiring memeber has to have it finances in order, wich Iceland doesn't.

It might unilateraly adopt the EURO as a currency just like Montenegro has, but that is not EU membership even if some might think so.

Croatia dos not have a open border issue with Slovenia. Slovenia would like to steal unlawfully some of the borders controlled lawfully by Croatia. The international law says if the Slovenians want to stop being spoiled crybaby's and grow up. That posesion is 9/10 of the law and Croatia poses it legally & rightfully it has the preponderance of evidence to it. Keep it up Slovenia the Croatians are turning their backs in ever larger numbers to the EU and its whining baby hypocrites.

for bganon:

I don't think Turkey should join the EU because Turkey is not a European country.

'I don't think Turkey should join the EU because Turkey is not a European country.'

As I understand it being geographically in Europe is not a condition of joining the European Union, so that is not a problem.

I thought that supporters of the EU were more concerned about the potential benefits that EU membership can bring both the existing EU countries and prospective new members. That this was the 'spirit' of the EU.

No, I think there is somthing more sinister at play with regard to keeping them out of the EU and we have heard these types of statements from French politicians.

Croatia will probably join the EU in 2011. Iceland might also became an EU Member State in 2011.

Whilst it may be convenient to use the French as an example, they are certainly not the only country to oppose Turkey's entry into the EU.

They are just the most vocal. This is how it works in the EU. One big country takes
'a stand' on a big issue, usually because of domestic politiking (after all, it is not as if Turkey would join in the forseeable near term), and a number of smaller countries stand behind it quietly.

As to why Turkey has been held afar, there is a very real argument that it is not a democracy. For long periods it has been ruled by the military (Greece had only one coup if I recall correctly), the turkish military has 'shortened' a number of civilian governments.

Then there is the question of who really runs the government even if there is a civilian government. Could such a government dismiss the head of the armed forces and other highly ranked offices in the security services?

To my knowledge this had (almost) never happened. Full civilian control over the military is a given in what is generally considered to be a democracy. In the EU, soldiers do what they are told.

So, taking into account this simple factor, it doesn't really matter what the french say or not.

I would put Croatia at 45/50-50%. Maybe it bit more as they have their historical brothers in arms, the Germans, rooting for them behind closed doors.

Croatia will probably join the EU in 2011. Iceland might also became an EU Member State in 2011.

for bganon:

I don't think Turkey should join the EU because Turkey is not a European country.

Croatia dos not have a open border issue with Slovenia. Slovenia would like to steal unlawfully some of the borders controlled lawfully by Croatia. The international law says if the Slovenians want to stop being spoiled crybaby's and grow up. That posesion is 9/10 of the law and Croatia poses it legally & rightfully it has the preponderance of evidence to it. Keep it up Slovenia the Croatians are turning their backs in ever larger numbers to the EU and its whining baby hypocrites.

Mircae you are really naive if you think that any more states will be allowd in the EU before the Lisbon Treaty, remember the Irish said no? How do you think that Croatia can bypass that?

Iceland have not even applied for EU membership. With Icelands current economic crisis it is very doubtful if they would even be granted memebership even if they applied wich they have not. An aspiring memeber has to have it finances in order, wich Iceland doesn't.

It might unilateraly adopt the EURO as a currency just like Montenegro has, but that is not EU membership even if some might think so.

Mircea as such an EU enthusiast I'd expect you to get your facts right.

Again Iceland will probably join the EU in 2011, Croatian might also become a member state in 2011.

The proposed fast track EU entry of Iceland is probably the last opportunity for Croatia to avoid being lumped in with the 'balkan' states who have not entered yet.

I'd say the chances of Croatia joining are now about 50/50. But it won't help that Croatian opposition to the EU is growing day by day.

That is not such a problem in Iceland and further EU states have no objections to the entry of Iceland.

Mircea this might also be a good opportunity to explain your opinion on Turkey's application. Do you not think it unfair that this country has been forced to wait in the EU waiting room for many years now?

I'm not a particular supporter of Turkish entry to the EU but I know (French) racism / prejudice when I see it.

'I don't think Turkey should join the EU because Turkey is not a European country.'

As I understand it being geographically in Europe is not a condition of joining the European Union, so that is not a problem.

I thought that supporters of the EU were more concerned about the potential benefits that EU membership can bring both the existing EU countries and prospective new members. That this was the 'spirit' of the EU.

No, I think there is somthing more sinister at play with regard to keeping them out of the EU and we have heard these types of statements from French politicians.

Whilst it may be convenient to use the French as an example, they are certainly not the only country to oppose Turkey's entry into the EU.

They are just the most vocal. This is how it works in the EU. One big country takes
'a stand' on a big issue, usually because of domestic politiking (after all, it is not as if Turkey would join in the forseeable near term), and a number of smaller countries stand behind it quietly.

As to why Turkey has been held afar, there is a very real argument that it is not a democracy. For long periods it has been ruled by the military (Greece had only one coup if I recall correctly), the turkish military has 'shortened' a number of civilian governments.

Then there is the question of who really runs the government even if there is a civilian government. Could such a government dismiss the head of the armed forces and other highly ranked offices in the security services?

To my knowledge this had (almost) never happened. Full civilian control over the military is a given in what is generally considered to be a democracy. In the EU, soldiers do what they are told.

So, taking into account this simple factor, it doesn't really matter what the french say or not.

I would put Croatia at 45/50-50%. Maybe it bit more as they have their historical brothers in arms, the Germans, rooting for them behind closed doors.