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http://www.rnw.nl/hotspots/html/slo021008.html Slovenia�s Invitation Jitters by James Kliphuis -Now, four years later, after the NATO bombing of nearby Belgrade, and possibly on the eve of a US-inspired Iraq adventure, Slovenes are no longer so sure they want to be part of NATO. Milan Jazbec, State Secretary for Defence, is aware of the dwindling enthusiasm for NATO in Slovenia, and the possibility that a referendum on membership might result in a clear no. He argues against members of the public who claim that Slovenia has no enemies, and should not join a military pact headed by a superpower that's behaving like a cowboy.... Slovenia, the small and picturesque Central European republic, is the only state rising from the shambles of the former Yugoslavia likely to be invited to join the European Union and NATO later this year. Actually, Slovenia is one of the wealthiest candidate countries, and thought of as "well prepared for EU accession". Among the ten candidates eager to join the European Union, little Slovenia is thought of as a country that's worked especially hard to carry through reforms and prepare for membership. There is general agreement that Slovenia is ready to come in. But in the capital Ljubljana there is no triumphalism, no feeling of "we've got it made". Uneasy Miro Prek is a member of the Slovenian EU negotiating team discussing accession conditions in Brussel. He confesses to feelings of vague unease about the fact that, later this month, EU countries at a Brussels summit will decide behind closed doors which EU hopefuls may make the grade and how, while the candidates will have to wait for a special meeting in Copenhagen a few days later to be told which of them have been successful. Despite Mr Prek's misgivings, Slovenia is one candidate country with little to worry about. It is one of the wealthiest candidates, and well-prepared for accession; the best pupil in the class, you might say. "In terms of being rich we have a dilemma in Slovenia: now, we may be one of the best-prepared, but once we are a member of the European Union, we'll be one of the least prepared, and one of the poorer countries of the EU. The problem we concretely have is that the EU also sees Slovenia as a rich country which in fact disqualifies us � at least in the EU Commission's point of view � from benefiting from certain . . . measures available to countries within the EU, [who are] profiting from these measures." Support Waning In other words, when relatively wealthy Slovenia joins, Brussels won't be showering the new member with handfuls of euros from EU coffers. That will not be so easy to explain to the Slovenian population which still has to say Yes to accession in a referendum next year. But what worries negotiator Miro Prek most is the fact that in the existing member states public support for enlargement seems to be dropping, at a time when the enlargement treaty will soon have to be ratified in all 15 member states. "The problem we see as a ratification country [is] that according to the public opinion polls in the EU member states, support for enlargement is relatively low. And, which is even more interesting, support for enlargement in Germany, Austria and France, the polls are the least favourable knowing that those countries, already in the pre-accession phase, were proven to have benefited most from the opening of the markets." Mr Prek is saying that the EU member states that profited most from the candidate countries' throwing open their markets in the pre-accession phase are now less eager to conclude the enlargement process. NATO Question Next to the headache over the European Union, postcard-pretty Slovenia is worrying about another exclusive, gold-engraved invitation card that may soon drop on its doormat: it's commonly expected that Slovenia will be asked to join NATO at the Western alliance's summit in Prague in November. At the last NATO enlargement summit, in Madrid four years ago, Slovenia would have liked nothing better than such a suggestion. With the memory of the recent Balkan wars still fresh, the Ljubljana authorities wanted it firmly established that they were part of the Western world and its military-political organisation. Then, joining NATO had a far higher priority than joining the EU, but Slovenia was passed by on that occasion. Now, four years later, after the NATO bombing of nearby Belgrade, and possibly on the eve of a US-inspired Iraq adventure, Slovenes are no longer so sure they want to be part of NATO. Milan Jazbec, State Secretary for Defence, is aware of the dwindling enthusiasm for NATO in Slovenia, and the possibility that a referendum on membership might result in a clear no. He argues against members of the public who claim that Slovenia has no enemies, and should not join a military pact headed by a superpower that's behaving like a cowboy: "It will be the first time in Slovenian history that a small country, a small nation, you know, [will] have a seat in the front row round the desk or the table where the decisions about European security, defence, also policy, are being taken. This is an extremely important issue. To be active, and to participate with this. So you know, whatever the countries dominating or trying to dominate whatever institution, there are the rules of procedure which are always followed. Then, of course, there are some arguing that if we don't enter NATO we'll be safer because nobody will see us. No! Forget it, you know. Danger is universal and security is universal." Resistance Overcome And that's why Slovenia must join NATO, in the opinion of Mr Jazbec. Somehow, domestic criticism of the alliance and its superpower leader will have to be overcome. The EU accession issue seems less controversial; opinion polls suggest there's a reasonable majority in favour of Slovenia's joining the European Union. But there, the Slovenes are worried that the outside world � the EU Commission, the 15 member states, other candidate countries - may cause last-minute problems. They're big worries for a small Central European country. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? 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