Formally ending years of Cold War separation, Czechs celebrated their return to the West after voting decisively to join the European Union.

　　Fireworks illuminated the skies over Prague Castle on Saturday evening after this central European country of 10 million voted to take part in the largest expansion of the EU next year.

　　"This is a victory for the Czech people," Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla said. "For me this is the end of World War II, with all its consequences."

　　Final results from the two-day referendum that ended on Saturday showed 77.33 percent of voters approved the measure, while 22.67 voted no, according to the state Statistical Office. Turnout was 55.21 percent.

　　At a post-referendum celebration held by a pro-EU organization - Yes for Europe - one of the group's co-founders, Slavomil Hubalek, said Czechs had decided conclusively to "become part of Western, Christian culture."

　　Party-goers chanted "Long live Havel!" in tribute to Vaclav Havel, the former president who had spoken out energetically in favor of EU membership.

　　In Brussels, Belgium, the EU Commission praised the outcome of the vote.

　　"This is a good day for Europe, another proof that our peoples belong together," Romano Prodi, the commission's president, said in a statement.

　　The victory came after a lackluster campaign that nonetheless persuaded Czechs of the economic benefits of joining the EU.

　　Detractors had argued that the country - which was under Soviet control until 1989 and split from Slovakia in 1993 - was not ready to cede sovereignty.

　　Opponents have also warned that EU membership will not magically solve the problems of Czech society, including slow economic growth and a huge public deficit.

　　"Welcome on board the Titanic," an anti-EU political analyst, Jefim Fistejn, said yesterday when asked how he viewed the country's future in the trade bloc.

　　Fistejn predicted social unrest and frequent strikes will result from government attempts to push through painful reforms needed to meet EU requirements and to reduce the soaring public debt.

　　An editorial in yesterday's Blesk daily, the country's most widely read paper, also predicted that the road to prosperity within the EU would be "long and filled with thorns."

　　So far Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia have backed joining the EU in referen-dums. Latvia and Estonia will hold referendums in September. Of the 10 candidate states, only Cyprus has decided not to hold a vote on membership.