Croatia, a country of 4.2 million people and with an economy deep in recession, becomes the 28th member of the European Union, a ten year process following its declaration of independance from what was Yugolslavia back in 1991.

Celebrations started at midnight Sunday in Zagreb with the current level of support among the populace coming in at around 50%, somewhat lower than the 66% that voted in the referendum to take the country into the EU in the first place.

Membership is not seen in Croatia as the panacea for all its economic ills and there are many of them, having a zero growth economy and unemployment of over 20%, with 50% of their young workers searching for work. Some analysts feel that it is only a matter of time before they come looking for a bailout, being the third poorest member of the union. 

They will not be part of the 17 countries that have adopted the Euro as their national currency.