(see original articles in english at bottom)

Nemmeno i croati sono entusiasti di entrare nella NATO

Un recentissimo sondaggio ha rivelato che piu' della meta' dei
cittadini della Croazia sono ben poco entusiasti rispetto alla
inclusione del paese nella NATO, e che almeno un 20 per cento e'
nettamente contrario. Naturalmente l'opinione dei cittadini su una
questione del genere non verra' tenuta in considerazione: se essa
rappresentera' un problema si organizzeranno campagne massmediatiche
ed iniziative di disinformazione ad hoc per imporre "democraticamente"
l'ingresso a tutti i costi della Croazia nella NATO nel 2004. (I.S.)


=== english ===


http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/dp/Qcroatia-nato-eu.RnQY_CDU.html

Croatians give lukewarm support to NATO bid, poll
shows


ZAGREB, Dec 30 (AFP) - Fewer than half of Croatians
support their country's entry into NATO, which the
government would like to join in 2004, according to an
opinion poll released on Monday.

The poll, published by the daily Jutarnji List, found
43 percent of those surveyed favour joining the
Atlantic alliance while 20 percent said membership was
"undesirable."

Twenty-two percent said they did not care and the
remaining 15 percent gave no answer.

The poll also showed that 57 percent of Croatians
supported the country's membership in the EU, while 16
percent were against it.

Croatia's moderate rulers, who took over from
nationalists three years ago, have put the country's
membership in the EU and NATO at the top of their
agenda.

Croatia, which proclaimed independence from the former
Yugoslavia in 1991, joined NATO's Partnership for
Peace program in 2000. The program is seen as the
first step to joining the Alliance.

Zagreb hopes to enter NATO in 2004. It also has voiced
hope of becoming a full-fledged member of the European
Union by 2008.



http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id
=2949095&startrow=1&date=2002-12-31&do_alert=0

Novosti
December 31, 2002

LESS THAN HALF OF CROATIANS SPOKE IN FAVOUR OF THE
COUNTRY'S ENTRY INTO NATO

BELGRADE, 31 December. /RIA Novosti correspondent
Aleksander Slabynko/. Less than half of interviewed
Croatians, 43%, spoke in favor of the country's entry
into NATO, about a quarter, 20% spoke against that and
the rest were indifferent to the intention of Croatia
to join the North Atlantic Alliance.

These were the results of the survey of 1500 Croatian
citizens published on Tuesday by "Jutarni List"
newspaper.

As far as entry into the European Union was concerned,
then the results were more optimistic: 57% of
Croatians supported the course of the government
towards entry into the European Union and only 16%
spoke against that.

Croatia is preparing to join NATO in 2004, and the
European Union in 2007-2008.