Related Information to European Union - Good Or Bad?

European Union - Good Or Bad? - Page 6

Can they find anyone that is really interested in the European Union? Now it seems that even the Germans are not sure about it and they are supposed to be one of the central figures.

Survey: Germans Against EU Constitution

The majority of Germans oppose the joint EU constitution. In early May, 59 percent still were voting for the international treaty. By now only 42 percent do. This is the result of an Infratest Dimap Survey conducted on behalf of the ARD German public TV magazine Kontraste. 44 percent said no, while four percent indicated they did not care about the subject or did not want to commit themselves. According to the pollsters, people in the Eastern states of Germany are far more skeptical of the EU-constitution than those in the West.
Ref. https://www.germnews.de/dn

Bad Good Union European

The European constitution will never survive the setback of the french voting against it. Sadly, the EU project has grown away from public support, not only (or mainly) in Germany, but in most of the older member states.

Part of the problem is the expansion into central and eastern europe, which has been, and still is, expensive and complicated. However, the purpose for creating the EU was to ensure peace and promote a free market, not allowing the poorer european countries to join would have been worse in the long run. The opportunity to join the EU has motivated huge structural adjustments and democratic improvements in these former communist states.

But to allow these poor states in and open up markets for them has not been as popular in action as it was in theory. The simple truth is that old Europe would (among other things) have to lower minimum wages as a result of the competition, perhaps even down to american levels, a impossible political message to deliver to the people of left-oriented countries such as France or my own homeland of Sweden.

European Union - Good Or Bad? History & Civil Business Politics

I agree with you Lemongras. I think it is a shame and would have been beneficial in the long term for all European countries.

Do you believe EU powerbrokers have moved too quickly to embrace eastern European countries? Perhaps old Europe needed more time to accept change. Do you think the EU is dead and buried? Is there a way it could be re-worked to appease the left?

It has been suggested in this topic that Sweden is being invaded by Muslims. My partner is Swedish (lives in Munka Ljungby) and she told me this is nonsense. What is your opinion on this imminent threat?

Page 6 Bad Good Union European

If one of the EU's chief purposes was to promote the free market it went about it a very strange way. The word "free" in "free market" means "free from government regulations".

The EU's draconian desire to control member states' economies and the host of regulations restricting businesses are about as far away from promoting the free market as you can get.

Bad Good Union European

Koehler defends European Union

Kiel. In light of the current crisis German president [Bundespraesident] Koehler defended the European Union and the historical significance of the European integration process. During a meeting in Kiel with parliamentary representatives from states along the Baltic sea Koehler said that the European project is unique. Austrian federal chancellor Schuessel fears that subsequent to the failure of the EU summit massive intensification of the inner-European dispute will ensue. He names in particular Great Britain as responsible for the crisis. Schuessel said the British do not want to have a strengthening of the Union, but another type of Europe with more market power.
Ref. https://www.germnews.de/dn

European Union - Good Or Bad?

Free markets cannot function without some kind of government providing rules and regulations, that is a commonly accepted economic fact. For the EU to function we need to coordinate those rules and regulations.

But this also connects to the issue of what the EU should be. For once I agree with swedish EU politics when we stand one hundred per cent behind Britain in their demands for a "slimmer" EU focusing on development and trade rather than huge agricultural subsidiaries and billion dollar handouts for "structural adjustment". Such a reformed EU could still survive. How that is to be done when french farmers block up the center of Paris with trucks and hurl tomatoes on the parliament as soon as the question is even addressed, now that's the difficult question.

If you could point me to where this is said I might reply. Speaking generally, Sweden has a large portion of immigrants from middle-eastern countries, most of them muslims. But immigration as a total has gone down in Sweden the last ten years due to very strict policys. My personal opinion is that we should let a lot more muslims into our country.

Edited: Lemongras on 28th Jun, 2005 - 9:49pm

European Union Good Bad - Page 6

I have to agree with you Lemongras. There is really no such thing as a absolutely free-market, there will always be some level of government control and regulation. It simply isn't feasible otherwise.

There is no way the EU constitution will be accepted without handouts or subsidies, too many farmers in the wealthier nations would feel threatened. Government subsidies are an important bartering chip in this whole process.

The references to Sweden were made on page 4.

European Union Good Bad Politics Business Civil & History - Page 6

If you agree that governments may, without consent, interfere in the rights of an individual to contract about his own affairs and with his property then, my friend, you do not believe in the right to own and control property.

Sellers and buyers are of course (or should of course be!) protected from each others' vices by normal criminal law: the protection of life, liberty and property.

The EU has lost billions, it has never been signed off by the auditors in goodness knows how many years and would be facing criminal charges if it was not (wrongly) "above the law".

No, the EU is not a protector of private property, but the destroyer of it.