Croatian citizens are voting on Sunday in a referendum on the former Yugoslav republic’s accession to the European Union scheduled for next year.
Croatia signed an accession treaty with the EU in December last year and is expected to join the 27-nation bloc in July 2013.
Over 4.5 million voters are eligible to vote in the referendum at 6,700 polling stations in the country and around the world.
Over 50% of Croats must give their approval for the country to become an EU member. Aside from the referendum, the document must be ratified by all the current EU member states.
The latest public opinion poll conducted by Ipsos Puls agency indicates that 61% of Croatian citizens support the move, while 31% are against the EU membership fearing foreign interference in domestic affairs.
About 1,000 protesters opposed to Croatia's accession to the European Union clashed with police on Saturday in the capital Zagreb.
Official reports suggest that Croatia is hit by a recession, which could be aggravated, if the country joins the EU. Croatia’s unemployment rate currently stands at around 17% and its budget deficit is projected at 6.2% of GDP.
