Latvian European Union membership referendum, 2003
Encyclopedia
The 2003 Latvian European Union membership referendum took place on 20 September 2003 to decide whether Latvia
should join the European Union
(EU). Latvia was the last of the states which would join the EU in 2004 to hold a referendum
on the issue. Just over two-thirds of voters voted Yes and Latvia joined the EU on 1 May 2004.
in Copenhagen
in December 2002. On the 27 December 2002 the Latvian government decided to hold a referendum on the 20 September 2003 on joining the EU. In May 2003 the Parliament of Latvia
amended the Constitution of Latvia
to allow referendums on international matters. Campaigning began on 5 May 2003.
Do you support the membership of Latvia in the European Union?.
in February 2002 showed opponents of membership in the lead. Support for membership rose during the campaign with over 50% expected to support membership as the referendum neared.
Supporters of joining the EU included the coalition government
and the business community. They argued that this would give access to EU markets and development aid. They also stressed that membership would provide protection from pressure from Russia
. In the last few weeks the Yes campaign launched an advertising campaign with the slogan "Don’t stay aside!”
The No campaign argued that Latvia should not surrender the sovereignty they had recently gained from the Soviet Union
. They also suggested that Latvia would suffer economically as the poorest of the candidate countries. Generally opposition was higher among ethnic Russians
and in the poorer regions of Latvia.
of any of the eastern Europe
an countries holding referendums in 2003 and well above the 35% required in order to make the referendum binding. The yes vote was ahead in 30 of the 34 electoral districts with the highest yes vote among Latvians abroad with over 90% supporting membership. The highest no vote was in the poorer east of Latvia, especially where there were significant numbers of ethnic Russians.
, Einars Repše, celebrated the result with 2,000 young people in Riga
. He put a blue EU t-shirt
on and said that "Latvians understand this is a decisive moment!" The President of Latvia, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga
, described the result as "wiping out forever the divisions on the map of Europe
that the odious Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
of 1939 placed here."
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
should join the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU). Latvia was the last of the states which would join the EU in 2004 to hold a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on the issue. Just over two-thirds of voters voted Yes and Latvia joined the EU on 1 May 2004.
Background
Latvia was invited to begin negotiations to join the EU in 1997 and was formally invited to join at a summitEuropean Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in December 2002. On the 27 December 2002 the Latvian government decided to hold a referendum on the 20 September 2003 on joining the EU. In May 2003 the Parliament of Latvia
Saeima
Saeima is the parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation, with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the popular vote. Elections are scheduled to be held once every four years,...
amended the Constitution of Latvia
Constitution of Latvia
The Constitution of Latvia is the fundamental law of the Republic of Latvia. It was adopted by, as it states itself, the people of Latvia, in a freely elected Constitutional Assembly, on 15 February 1922 and came into force on 7 November 1922. It was influenced by ideas of the Weimar Constitution...
to allow referendums on international matters. Campaigning began on 5 May 2003.
Referendum question
The question voted on in the referendum was:Do you support the membership of Latvia in the European Union?.
Campaign
Latvia was seen as being one of the skeptical countries on joining the European Union but polls in the years before the referendum consistently showing an advantage for supporters of EU accession. Only one opinion pollOpinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
in February 2002 showed opponents of membership in the lead. Support for membership rose during the campaign with over 50% expected to support membership as the referendum neared.
Supporters of joining the EU included the coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
and the business community. They argued that this would give access to EU markets and development aid. They also stressed that membership would provide protection from pressure from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. In the last few weeks the Yes campaign launched an advertising campaign with the slogan "Don’t stay aside!”
The No campaign argued that Latvia should not surrender the sovereignty they had recently gained from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. They also suggested that Latvia would suffer economically as the poorest of the candidate countries. Generally opposition was higher among ethnic Russians
Russian diaspora
The term Russian diaspora refers to the global community of ethnic Russians, usually more specifically those who maintain some kind of connection, even if ephemeral, to the land of their ancestors and maintain their feeling of Russian national identity within a local community.The term "Russian...
and in the poorer regions of Latvia.
Results
The results saw the highest turnoutVoter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
of any of the eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an countries holding referendums in 2003 and well above the 35% required in order to make the referendum binding. The yes vote was ahead in 30 of the 34 electoral districts with the highest yes vote among Latvians abroad with over 90% supporting membership. The highest no vote was in the poorer east of Latvia, especially where there were significant numbers of ethnic Russians.
| Electorate | Spoilt votes | Turnout (%) | For (%) | Against (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,393,171 | 7,787 | 1,010,467 (72.5) | 676,700 (67.5) | 325,980 (32.5) |
| Source: EU Referendum 2003 | ||||
Reactions
The Prime Minister of LatviaPrime Minister of Latvia
The Prime Minister of Latvia is the most powerful member of the Government of the Republic of Latvia, and presides over the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers...
, Einars Repše, celebrated the result with 2,000 young people in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. He put a blue EU t-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
on and said that "Latvians understand this is a decisive moment!" The President of Latvia, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga
Vaira Vike-Freiberga
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga was the sixth President of Latvia, the first female President of Latvia and the first female leader in eastern Europe. She was elected President of Latvia in 1999 and re-elected in 2003.Dr...
, described the result as "wiping out forever the divisions on the map of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
that the odious Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, was an agreement officially titled the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union and signed in Moscow in the late hours of 23 August 1939...
of 1939 placed here."