66 percent of Croatian voters supported joining the European Union in a national referendum held on January 22 . . . only 33 percent were opposed to joining the EU in an election that had a turnout of 44 percent of eligible voters . . . the government believes joining the EU is the only way for economic recovery . . . the powerful Roman Catholic church and every major political party in Croatia supported joining the EU . . . opponents claimed that the benefits that would come from joining the eurozone are likely exaggerated and would threaten Croatian businesses and its sovereignty . . . Croatia will become the 28th member of the EU on July 1, 2013 if all the current members of the EU support its accession . . . according to the Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic, Croatia will likely adopt the euro in 2015 or 2016 after the country meets necessary minimal economic standards . . . membership in the EU will provide Croatia with needed development assistance . . . the low turnout reflects the declining appeal of the EU in the face of the European debt crisis.