Ready to enter” “

“We want to enter the European Union. We must have no fear, because isolating ourselves is worse”. That’s how Cardinal Josef Glemp, president of the Polish bishops, urged his fellow-citizens to vote in favour of EU membership on the eve of the referendum held in Poland on 7 and 8 June. Cardinal Glemp’s words echoed those of the Pope on 19 May: “Europe needs Poland…Poland needs Europe”. The Cardinal’s appeal met with a positive response: 77.5% of Poles voted ‘yes’ to EU entry, though only 58,8% of the electorate turned out to vote. Now attention turns to the Czech Republic, which was eagerly awaiting the results of the Polish poll and is due to hold its own referendum on 13 and 14 June. The president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Czech Episcopal Conference, Msgr. Vàclav Maly, speaking to SirEurope, has commented on the forthcoming referendum. Favourable to entry. “The Czech Episcopal Conference has always expressed itself in favour of the country’s entry into the European Union. Already in a document of February 2003 the bishops affirmed their support for the process of unification based on faith, solidarity, subsidiarity, democracy, hope and reconciliation. We are happy to involve ourselves in the construction of a Europe united by Christian values, and we appeal not only to all Christians, but also to the other citizens of our country, not to lose this unique opportunity to fulfil the desire of so many generations, the desire whose roots can be traced back to the legacy of St. Albert, bishop of Prague, of Charles IV, of Jiøí z Podìbrad, of Jan Amés Komenský and others, the desire to form part of the European community”. In the words of Msgr. Vàclav Maly, president of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Czech Episcopal Conference, the European aspiration of the Czech bishops is whole-hearted: they regard the forthcoming referendum as an occasion to further “europeanize” the Old Continent. So what emerges from the pre-electoral public opinion polls, according to which the majority of voters will say ‘yes’ to EU entry, is more than a hope. “With entry into the EU – says Maly – we have good grounds for expecting a reinforcement of the security, stability and democracy of the Czech Republic” which only at the end of February this year, succeeded in electing, in the third ballot, the former liberal Prime Minister, Vàclav Klaus (Civil Democratic Party, ODS), as the tenth President of the Czech Republic, to substitute Vàclav Havel whose term of office expired on 2 February 2003. In spite of the political uncertainty and, according to Bishop Maly, “some degree of apprehension among the population about this historic event”, the contribution of the Czech Republic “will make itself felt. Czech citizens are polyglot, creative and will give their support to the cause of the European family”. Secularization and Preamble. Nor does Bishop Maly flinch from the feared danger of the secularization that is striking Europe. “‘Dechristianization’ and the weakening of the Christian values of our continent – he says – are a process that already began in the nineteenth century and are unfortunately continuing. But the reason for secularization is not the more recent process of European integration”. Nonetheless “it would be a good thing if there were explicit references to the Christian roots of Europe in the Preamble of the future European Constitution. It is essential, lastly, that the position of the Churches, respect for their internal regulations, and their structured dialogue with the European Institutions, be given appropriate expression in the Constitution. It seems likely, indeed, that these requests will be met”. Fact file: membership referendums The series of referendums on EU membership for the candidate countries was inaugurated by the island of Malta on 8 March 2003: 53% of voters expressed a favourable view, as against 45% who voted ‘no’ and 2% whose vote was invalidated. Two weeks later (23 March) it was the turn of Slovenia which not only gave a resounding ‘yes’ to EU membership (88%) but also chose to join NATO (66%). An overwhelming majority for the ‘yes’ vote was also registered in Hungary, where, on 12 April, 83.8% voters voted in favour of joining the EU. On Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 May it was the turn of Lithuania. The largest of the Baltic States voted almost unanimously for EU entry, with 90.97% in favour. The positive trend continued in Slovakia (16-17/5), where 92.46% voted in favour of EU membership, and in Poland (7-8/6) with a ‘yes’ vote of 77.5%. After the Czech Republic (13-14/6), it will then be the turn of Estonia (14/9) and Latvia (20/9). Cyprus, for the time being, has organized no referendum.