A united Europe is closer than you think

[TiphEret 1,320]

​Really? Wow!

There is this really spanish thought that our country is the worst one, that europeans feel ashamed of Spain. We are a very negative country when it comes to think about ourselves.

​Same here, i am French and I love Spain. One of my best friend is spanish and she is keeping me updated about podemos and wow it seems so promising, also all the spanish people I met were so nice :)

[Ayesha Erotica 1,963]

​The same happens here in Spain, I live in the north near the ocean and our culture doesn't have anything to do with bulls or the sun. We even share most of our mixology with Ireland. The thing is that I don´t think the northern countries like Germany for instance wouldn't want us inside that unified Europe. It´s really funny the north - south division because it even exists here in Spain, the north side is richer than the south part, the educational system is better and so on.. 

​

Are you from the highly-educated classy Basque Country? You and Cataluna deserve an own nation. I feel sorry for the "Spanish" regions that are exploited by Madrid.. to be honest Madrid is shifting all the power from the provinces to itself... it would be better for you to be an independent country.

[Ayesha Erotica 1,963]

​ for example in France I would rather have more autonomy for each province that right now. . Plus if you look at each country how many have some province that wants their independance (in France, you have pays basque and corsica, in the UK it's three country unified but the Scots wants to get out of it)

​

well, the Scots had the chance of their life but they have given it away and will continue to be forever a part of London, oops I meant the UK, not that much a difference.

 

in France you deserve a federal state system like Germany, Switzerland and Canada have it, I think that would improve your country very much.  A friend of mine used to call France "Parisland". You always have to ask Paris for permission, Paris is the big chief.. that would be unimaginable in GER or SWI. Every province of you should have itws own powerful capital ...

​

[Better Day 5,766]

In reality I don't want unity within the EU. I have decided against staying in the EU. They are absolute no point in it. However I do see the positives. I have mixed feelings about the EU. I don't know what to vote in the upcoming referendum. 

I may be in favour of one world however I don't want union in the EU because it is less likely we will become left-wing. I feel that if we are the 'United States of Europe' Scotland would have less likely chance to become indepedent and socialist. The world is far to right-right nowadays

[TiphEret 1,320]

​

well, the Scots had the chance of their life but they have given it away and will continue to be forever a part of London, oops I meant the UK, not that much a difference.

 

in France you deserve a federal state system like Germany, Switzerland and Canada have it, I think that would improve your country very much.  A friend of mine used to call France "Parisland". You always have to ask Paris for permission, Paris is the big chief.. that would be unimaginable in GER or SWI. Every province of you should have itws own powerful capital ...

​

​Yes but I think for the Scots it's more complicated than that...

I completely agree with you regarding France a centralised government makes no sense. The issue is that all the big companies and such are in Paris, we are 65 millions and 10 millions live in Paris, which is so big! I am from the South and trust me our "wories" aren't the same as Parisians. I believe in more direct democracy and power to the people in their communities so the way politics is done in France right now is laughable...

[Melech 9,900]

​I disagree with you on that. I think there are big cultural differences: for a start between Sothern Europe and Northern Europe it's completely different which you can't compare to cultural differences within one country.

Personally I would be against a united state of europe. I already don't think that a country that is too big should have a "unified politics" for example in France I would rather have more autonomy for each province that right now. Because we don't have the same needs or wishes. Plus everytime EU try to make policies regarding regulations there is a too big gap to reach. I am for a EU that allows partnership between countries but not for a state that makes all the decisions for so many countries that have all their own history and identity it just makes no sense. Plus if you look at each country how many have some province that wants their independance (in France, you have pays basque and corsica, in the UK it's three country unified but the Scots wants to get out of it)

​I totally see your point. I guess it won't be easy as it were in Germany to make it one.  I guess we will need to wait. In the end the leaders only want to have their power no matter what they people want. t

[TiphEret 1,320]

​I totally see your point. I guess it won't be easy as it were in Germany to make it one.  I guess we will need to wait. In the end the leaders only want to have their power no matter what they people want. t

​Yes. I am not against the EU, actually we beneficiate a lot from it just simply travelling without any problem and working wherever we want is amazing but I am against the EU dicating policies for 24 countries. It's just impractical. i don't even think USA is such a good example, there is big differences between states. It's also difficult to have a socialist politics on a bigger territory as it seems and capitalism the way it's done now is about giving power to corporation...not individuals

[Melech 9,900]

​Yes. I am not against the EU, actually we beneficiate a lot from it just simply travelling without any problem and working wherever we want is amazing but I am against the EU dicating policies for 24 countries. It's just impractical. i don't even think USA is such a good example, there is big differences between states. It's also difficult to have a socialist politics on a bigger territory as it seems and capitalism the way it's done now is about giving power to corporation...not individuals

​I'm in general in favor for breaking national states. But that won't happen anytime soon. I'm anti-capitalism, the EU I want is a fair one, not the one in the direction as it leads now full of bureaucracy and stuff. It's just so complicated...

 

 

BTW, I still need to send you something. I asked my teacher to get a new paper without notices and she may does bring it tomorrow! 

[TiphEret 1,320]

​I'm in general in favor for breaking national states. But that won't happen anytime soon. I'm anti-capitalism, the EU I want is a fair one, not the one in the direction as it leads now full of bureaucracy and stuff. It's just so complicated...

 

 

BTW, I still need to send you something. I asked my teacher to get a new paper without notices and she may does bring it tomorrow! 

​Don't start me on bureaucracy. I think the problem of the EU is that the way they talk is so unappealing. For instance I did a volunteering program funded by the EU and at the end you get a certificate to explain what you learn. They wrote 8 pages about this certificate and you just have no clue what it is all about. Whenever I try to read about EU policies I just feel lost in the Bermudas triangle.

Yes please send it to me :) thanks for remembering!

[Melech 9,900]

​Don't start me on bureaucracy. I think the problem of the EU is that the way they talk is so unappealing. For instance I did a volunteering program funded by the EU and at the end you get a certificate to explain what you learn. They wrote 8 pages about this certificate and you just have no clue what it is all about. Whenever I try to read about EU policies I just feel lost in the Bermudas triangle.

Yes please send it to me :) thanks for remembering!

​Bureaucracy will be the end of European Union, if they don't change anything. I like how the countries get left leaning. I hope that something good will come out of it.  

 

[Guest]

Step 1: United Europe

Step 2: United Asia

Step 3: United Africa

Step 4: United Islands

Step 5: United World

 

 

[darkchylde 14,857]

​This is a forum about Lady Gaga, but really, there are more important things to talk about when it comes to building an unified europe than LGTB rights. Actually, all the countries in the european union have the best laws to protect the LGTB communities. 

​No, there are not. Women + PoC + LGBT rights are the most important thing to talk about.

And no, all the countries in the european union do not have "the best laws to protect the LGTB communities". 

I'll quote some basic Wikipedia for you / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_European_Union /

No recognition of same-s-x couples in 9/28 states.

Same-s-x marriage constitutional ban in 7/28 states.

Joint adoption in 11/28 states, step-child adoption in 16/28 states.

Now, I don't care how brainwashed by the media you are, but good economic policies or whatever you think is "more important" is worthless if I'm enjoying it in a society that does not respect me nor allows me to be who I am.

 

[Goosey 3,017]

​Why not

There is more diversity in India then in entire Europe yet they still stay together

​Hmmm

 

 

[Serendipity 7,821]

​Hmmm

 

 

​Your answer:

 

[Luc 4,776]

​Really? Wow!

There is this really spanish thought that our country is the worst one, that europeans feel ashamed of Spain. We are a very negative country when it comes to think about ourselves.

​Spain is the example when talking about how Greece should be doing it right now  because Spain has economic growth right now and got through harsh reforms, but politicians are scared for Podemos.

Can't blame Spain for what happened there though. Public debt was at like 36% pre-crisis, but because of municipalities and provinces the state got a lot of debt. And if you look at private debt, South-European countries are actually doing quite well.

Here in France, people are becoming jealous that Spain is getting slowly out of the economic crisis.

​Lol and like France is the example of why things like raising the retirement age, reforming the labour market, etc. are necessary  and why the socialist party wouldn't have the success they think they would.

 

 

A federal europe is very far away I think. The demographics are pretty terrible, and there's a lot of conservative old people right now and that amount is only becoming bigger. In the future the amount of old people will start declining, and the overall population will be on average more progressive in their views. That is important.

It's also important that Europe seeks more integration: shared defense policy, better anti-poverty measures. Countries like Bulgaria are way too poor, and before a federal Europe happens, each country should be about as rich.

Also, there's different cultures in Europe. Nationalism is big. This could perhaps make place for more Europeanism with a common enemy (like Russia) that makes people more patriotic about Europe rather than their own country. Everybody should at least have B2 level in English, but at the same time minorities should be respected. 

There's also bad cultures in Europe: South- and East-Europe have a culture of corruption, which needs to be tackled before a federal Europe happens.

Perhaps the first steps would be more political integration, more rules for all European or Eurozone countries (about banks and tax evasion by multinationals for example). And also more nation-to-nation teamwork. The benelux should work together more, and France and Germany too. Poland has just elected a nationalist so that's not going to be fine there. Bulgaria, Greece and Romania and Slovenia and Italy, etc. These small steps will eventually lead to the federal Europe which I hope will come one day.

Perhaps an idea is to divide Europe into 1000 small municipalities, which each have some say about taxes and such, but not a lot. They can go bankrupt, without really affecting other countries. They would all have a local state bank, and an own parliament.

I'm so glad that my country and Switzerland are not part of the European Union. We are the only true democracies in Europe, we are the only countries where there is regularly a national referendum. We are the only countries where the opinion of the people matters, we are the only countries were we can change political decisions with the help of a national or regional referendum, where we can make our own decisions.

 

I don't wanna be ruled by Brussels, why should politicians that have nothing to do with my country make rules that affect my country??? That's sick.

I feel sorry for the people in Greece and Lissabon that have no other choice than accepting obligations made by an artifical construct called "European Union".

I can imagine an union with Germany, Austria and Luxemburg, these countries are superb and have a lot of similarities with us. They should leave the EU to be honest and found a new Central European Union that will be better than the "EU".

​Don't act like Switzerland is an independent country in Europe. To be part of the trade union, they have to apply all European rules to their system. And next to that, with all the treaties they agreed with Europe, they didn't actually get the chance to vote no (because a 'no' vote would mean all previous treaties and everything would be cancelled). Switzerland spent 50 billion euros trying to have their currency compete with the Euro, which was a failure. Now Switzerland is in a recession because of the ECB policy, which made Switzerland 1,2x more expensive for the rest of Europe. But in the end, they have no say at all in the EU, eventhough they do everything they have to. 

I hope the EU pushes Switzerland. It's like a criminal nation in my opinion. It's the center of all European (and perhaps worldwide) corruption and tax evasion, and with their 'banking secret' they justify the problems they're giving other countries (like Greece).

By the way, I don't get the nationalist-populism in all of your posts? You keep referring to some elite in the capital of each country which has all the influence?