CANDIDATE STATES: Denis Staunton on Slovenia
With its smart shops, fashionable bars and exquisitely dressed young people, the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana looks more like a prosperous Italian city than the capital of a Balkan republic.
In fact, this little Alpine state is so well off its politicians fear it could become a net contributor to EU funds as soon as it joins the Union.
When the European Commission publishes its annual report on the candidate countries next week, Slovenia is certain to receive a ringing endorsement. The director general of the Commission's Enlargement Directorate, Mr Eneko Landaburu, confirmed last week that Slovenia has been remarkably successful so far.
"The harmonisation with the EU legislation is going on well. There are no problems with meeting the political and economic membership standards. The country is one of the best candidates even in administrative qualification. There have been no real problems with Slovenia, probably because of the level of development, good administration operation, firm commitment and efficient negotiators," he said.
Brussels will suggest that the judiciary is in need of a little more reform and that more state industries should be privatised. But a decade after its secession from Yugoslavia, Slovenia is already well advanced in its integration into western Europe.
Dr Vlasta Jarucic, a political scientist at Ljubljana University believes that, unlike most candidate countries, Slovenia regards the economic benefits of EU membership as secondary. "It is really a question of joining the West. That's an ideological thing above all and for the past 10 years, Slovenia's political aim has been to get away from the so-called 'bloody Balkans'," she said.
The Commission has said Slovenia will not be a net contributor to EU funds the moment it joins but some Slovenes fear they will be repeating their experience in Yugoslavia when Slovenia subsidised the other republics and got little in return. "This could lead to a rise in anti-EU feeling," Dr Jarucic said.
Despite such anxieties, Slovenes are likely to vote in favour of EU membership and many are concerned that Ireland's referendum on Nice could create an obstacle. Visiting Dublin last week, Slovenia's Prime Minister, Mr Janez Drnovsek, told the Taoiseach he feared a second rejection of the treaty would have long-term negative ramifications, which would be felt for decades. He hoped Ireland's domestic issues would not cause the referendum's failure and he said small countries such as Slovenia and Ireland have much to gain by co-operating in Europe. The Government has cultivated good relations with Slovenia with a number of bilateral visits including a visit to Ljubljana by the President, Mrs McAleese.
Slovenes are puzzled by Irish fears that enlargement could provoke a wave of mass emigration from east to west. Most Slovenesare reluctant to move far from home. And although 100,000 of Slovenia's two million citizens are unemployed, it has more than 35,000 foreign workers, mainly in the construction industry.
Dr Jarucic believes that most Slovenes will interpret a second No to Nice as a rejection of their ambition to join western Europe."This would be a sign that the West doesn't want us," she said.