Malta Backs Joining EU in Referendum, Boosting Bloc's Ambitious Expansion Plans

Tiny Malta has given a big boost to the European Union's ambitious expansionist vision, with its residents voting to join the bloc next year in the first such verdict among the 10 countries on the verge of entering. EU headquarters in Brussels had been awaiting the outcome Sunday from Malta's referendum, especially since recent times have seen resolve among the candidate countries to join weakened by worries that they would be overshadowed politically by the major EU countries like Germany, France and Britain. Going into Saturday's referendum on this Mediterranean island group closer to northern Africa than to mainland Europe, citizens appeared to be split over whether membership would be helpful or harmful to their nation's future. Archrival Alfred Sant, a socialist who contended that Malta would lose jobs when forced to sacrifice protectionist measures to qualify for EU entrance, campaigned hard for a no vote. Although yes won out over no, 53.65 percent to 46.35 percent, Sant refused to take no for an answer, insisting that the vote was too close for this nation of barely 400,000 people. He immediately challenged the prime minister to call elections far ahead of their due date in September. European Commission President Romano Prodi said the result boded well for ratification in other countries.