Pusić commented that the result was good news for Europe, which faced internal problems. Former Speaker Vladimir Šeks said that the low turnout was caused by external factors – the debt crisis in Europe and a loss of confidence in Croatian political parties and institutions. Luka Bebić, also a former speaker of the Parliament, added that it was good that Croats had voted to join the EU. Former Croatian foreign minister Gordan Jandroković commented that the result is especially important for the nation's youth, and former Croatian President Stjepan Mesić stated that Croatia should be competitive and use EU funds, adding that it is not enough to be happy with entering the EU. He also commented on claims that joining the EU was tantamount to entering a new Yugoslavia, saying that "only idiots think that Yugoslavia should be renewed". On the other side, the HSP president Daniel Srb argued that the referendum was illegitimate since 71% of Croatian voters had not taken part in the referendum or had voted against the entry of Croatia into the EU, and warned that only 28% of Croatian voters had supported joining the EU. Srb also added that Croatian citizens had shown distrust of the Croatian Government. Željko Sačić, a right-wing politician, stated that the government destroyed the concept of Croatian citizens and created an impression that Croatia was unable to govern itself. Sačić stated that the government had brought Croatia into a decaying organization in an illegitimate way, adding that the referendum result was a defeat of Croatian independence and they would challenge its validity in court. By the 3 March 2012 deadline, the Constitutional Court of Croatia received 22 appeals challenging the referendum's legality; it ruled against them all. International Supranational bodies : Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, and José Manuel Barroso stated that they salute the decision of Croatian voters. They stated that EU membership will bring Croatia new opportunities and contribute to its stability and prosperity. States : Members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomed the results of the referendum, expressing an expectation that Croatia would be a representative of former Yugoslavia once it became a member of the EU. : German Chancellor Angela Merkel saluted the referendum's outcome and stated that Germany anticipated the Croatian EU entry with joy. : Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore congratulated the Croatian people