LITHUANIA: Lithuania was on course to clear its last hurdle to European Union membership last night after enough voters turned out to validate the country's two-day referendum, writes Derek Scally in Berlin.
Yesterday's last-minute surge in voting was expected to see a majority of voters in favour of EU membership, ending a nervous weekend for Lithuanian politicians after just 30 per cent of voters turned out on Saturday.
All the major political parties in Lithuania, the largest of three Baltic countries, are in favour of joining the EU.
Fears of voter apathy, following a 52 per cent turnout in last year's presidential elections and 59 per cent in parliamentary elections, lead the government to set aside two days for voting to attract over 50 per cent of voters.
The Lithuanian President, Mr Rolandas Paksas, urged Lithuanians to cast their votes this weekend.
"Our neighbours, the Latvians and Estonians, and other European countries are watching us as they did in the 1990s when we were the first to declare independence," he said, calling the referendum a vote "not only for our future but also for the future of our children".
Lithuanian Prime Minister, Mr Algirdas Brazauskas, cancelled a planned visit to Estonia to urge people to cast their ballots.
To sweeten the deal, some stores in the capital, Vilnius, said they would sell beer and chocolate for one Lithuanian cent to any customer who presented proof that they had voted.
"I would say that this referendum is historic in the sense that it will consolidate all the achievements Lithuania has made during the last 15 years," said Mr Petras Austrevicius, Lithuania's chief EU accession negotiator, in an interview.
Lithuania is the fourth country to hold a referendum on EU accession, following last year's invitation to 10 states to join the bloc next May.
Recent polls showed around 66 per cent of Lithuanians in favour of EU accession, believing it will bring greater economic prosperity and security, with just 13 per cent against.
There is little organised opposition to EU entry in Lithuania. However, farmers were angry when it emerged that they would receive direct payments just a quarter of the level given to farmers in existing member-states.