The EU is now the world's largest trading bloc
The new 25-member European Union has heralded its historic expansion with celebrations across the new bloc.
The 15 old members welcomed in Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia at midnight.
The most high-profile festivities took place in Ireland, current holder of the rotating EU presidency.
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern welcomed the new members and hailed a "day of hope and opportunity".
In bright spring sunshine, the leaders of the new member states were welcomed in a simple ceremony in the grounds of the Irish president's official residence by their counterparts from the existing 15 members.
ENLARGEMENT NUMBERS
10 new countries (up to 25)
74 million people (up to 455m)
444bn euro of extra GDP
(up to 9,613bn)
738,573 sq km of territory
(up to 4m sq km)
Key facts on new states
How much the EU costs
They watched as young people from all 25 countries presented their national flags, which were then raised together alongside the EU flag as a mass choir sang the EU anthem, Beethoven's Ode to Joy.
Mr Ahern spoke of the progress that Europe had made over the past decades, saying it had moved from war to peace.
He went on: "From hatred there is now respect, from division there is union, and from dictatorship and oppression there is democracy. "
But he also made reference to the challenges ahead for the enlarged club - notably the need to find agreement on the thorny issue of a constitution, and to narrow the now even more pronounced wealth gap between members.
"There is indeed much work to be done," he said.
Ireland mounted its biggest security operation since Pope John Paul II visited in 1979 in preparation for the celebrations.
In Saturday evening, riot police used water cannon to break up hundreds of anti-capitalist protesters in Dublin, but no serious incidents were reported.
Joy and uncertainty
With a population of 455m, the EU now is the world's biggest trading bloc.
Hundreds of thousands packed city squares in the newcomer states to watch fireworks and hear Beethoven's Ode to Joy - the EU's official anthem.
The BBC's Tim Franks says some enthusiasts are describing the enlargement as a millennial event, comparable to the creation of great empires.
Reporters' log
The night in pictures
European press jubilant
This is a hugely significant day for Europe, our correspondent says, but it is nowhere near the end of the story.
In the existing member states, there is more uncertainty over immigration, over the new balance of forces within the EU and over whom the club should admit next.
For the newcomers, there are concerns about price hikes without commensurate salary increases.
There is also disappointment that established members have placed restrictions of up to seven years on freedom of movement for workers from the relatively poor east into the west.
Eight of the new members are former communist states, joining the Western club only 15 years after most of them emerged from years of Soviet domination. Some did not even regain their independence until just over a decade ago.
'No war again'
The other two new members - Malta and Cyprus - are Mediterranean islands.
But Cypriot membership is being overshadowed by the exclusion of the island's Turkish Cypriot part, following an inconclusive referendum on reunification a week ago.
Infighting, insolvency and unemployment are all the EU is going to accomplish
Ben, USA
Your views: EU enlargement
One of the fathers of European reunification, former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, spoke through tears when he addressed thousands at a ceremony in the German town of Zittau, which borders both Poland and the Czech Republic.
"The message is there will never again be war in Europe," Mr Kohl said.
Marek Wos, a 40-year-old Polish businessman attending the celebrations in Warsaw, said it was a good day for his country.
"We will no longer be second-class people from a second-class country," he said.
Though I think we shouldn't be letting any new members anytime soon. We should finish consolidating now.
Great Dolphin Conspiracy - Chatter box
"Implications: we have been intercepted deliberately by a means unknown, for a purpose unknown, and transferred to a place unknown by a form of intelligence unknown. Apart from the unknown, everything is obvious." ZORAC GALE Force Euro Wimp Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
Colonel Olrik wrote:
eekk, no. But we must expand to somewhere, we must!
If we take Russia then we will have a nice outlet in the pacific.
If Russia joins then it might as well be the Eurasian Union!
Η ζωή, η ζωή εδω τελειώνει!
"Science is one cold-hearted bitch with a 14" strap-on" - Masuka 'Dexter'
"Angela is not the woman you think she is Gabriel, she's done terrible things"
"So have I, and I'm going to do them all to you." - Sylar to Arthur 'Heroes'
Though I think we shouldn't be letting any new members anytime soon. We should finish consolidating now.
In the short term I just hope us Brits don’t screw things up by voting against the constitution when it finally gets written & we get our referendum.
In the longer term it's going to be a difficult balance between not attempting to absorb too many poor eastern block countries at once and not leaving them languishing on the outside. Whether to add Turkey to the list of prospective members is going to be a tough decision as well.
Today is a great day, just a shame no one in the UK seems to care other than delusional europhobes who think the entire population of the new members will move here overnight and start claiming benefits.
Colonel Olrik wrote:
eekk, no. But we must expand to somewhere, we must!
If we take Russia then we will have a nice outlet in the pacific.
If Russia joins then it might as well be the Eurasian Union!
hell that would be cool because we´d have the possibility to take over japan.
GO EURASION UNION, FOR GREAT JUSTICE LAUNCH ALL DIPLOMATS, ALL YOUR COUNTRY ARE BELONG TO US!!!
The M2HB: The Greatest Machinegun Ever Made.
HAB: Crew-Served Weapons Specialist
"Making fun of born-again Christians is like hunting dairy cows with a high powered rifle and scope." --P.J. O'Rourke
"A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." --J.S. Mill
Though I think we shouldn't be letting any new members anytime soon. We should finish consolidating now.
In the short term I just hope us Brits don’t screw things up by voting against the constitution when it finally gets written & we get our referendum.
In the longer term it's going to be a difficult balance between not attempting to absorb too many poor eastern block countries at once and not leaving them languishing on the outside. Whether to add Turkey to the list of prospective members is going to be a tough decision as well.
Today is a great day, just a shame no one in the UK seems to care other than delusional europhobes who think the entire population of the new members will move here overnight and start claiming benefits.
I so agree. Once my finals and the June elections are over, I'll probably be helping on the "yes" campaign.
Exmoor Cat wrote:I so agree. Once my finals and the June elections are over, I'll probably be helping on the "yes" campaign.
They really should think of us students volunteers when scheduling elections June is no good at all, still if I go into full on work avoidance mode I can see leafleting in the rain seeming much more appealing than revision.
Have you actually managed to get a job with them or are you serving the cause free and bulking out your CV a bit?
TheDarkling wrote:Does NAFTA have its own upbeat anthem? I think not.
Doesn't matter, since:
A) I don't care much for the EU anthem...
B) I like Canada's anthem just fine...
C) Having two anthems is asanine...
Oh and something I forgot to mention previously: I don't want to use a currency that has such a dumb name .
The M2HB: The Greatest Machinegun Ever Made.
HAB: Crew-Served Weapons Specialist
"Making fun of born-again Christians is like hunting dairy cows with a high powered rifle and scope." --P.J. O'Rourke
"A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." --J.S. Mill
Ma Deuce wrote:
C) Having two anthems is asanine...
What, doesn't your state/city/province/football club have an anthem of its own? Anthems are cool, you can't have too many of them.
Ontario does have an anthem (The Maple Leaf Forever), but most people can't remember the lyrics to it, and some people I know to don't even realize Ontario has an anthem. Also, it's my understanding that while many people who do know that song, most don't realize it's Ontario's anthem.
However, no Canadian city or sports team that I know of has it's own anthem.
The M2HB: The Greatest Machinegun Ever Made.
HAB: Crew-Served Weapons Specialist
"Making fun of born-again Christians is like hunting dairy cows with a high powered rifle and scope." --P.J. O'Rourke
"A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." --J.S. Mill
TheDarkling wrote:I believe you have little in the way of musical taste.
Perhaps I should clarify: I have nothing against Beethoven's 9th symphony, but I don't care for it as an anthem. For one thing, you cannot sing it (AFIK, the EU anthem has no lyrics). Also, remember what happened to the Russians in the 90's after they disbanded old Soviet anthem? (which they recently brought back, but with new lyrics).
The M2HB: The Greatest Machinegun Ever Made.
HAB: Crew-Served Weapons Specialist
"Making fun of born-again Christians is like hunting dairy cows with a high powered rifle and scope." --P.J. O'Rourke
"A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." --J.S. Mill
