10 new countries in the EU

[Haltickling]

As per May 1, the EU has got 10 new members: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Malta, and the Greek part of Cyprus. Now the EU has 25 members.

Not everyone here is happy about that. Too many Germans remember too well the enormous economical problems that the reunification with a formerly Socialist country brought along. Almost all the new member states have rather desolate economies, and all of them will need money out of the common pot instead of paying into it. It's a bit like some presently Mexican provinces becoming US states.

However, their growth rates are way above the EU average and appear rather promising. The life standard there is still rather low, which means they are new markets for our products.

I’m not yet sure whether to be happy or concerned. Well, we’ll have to see how the thing develops…

 

[qjakal]

Well...

At the very least they should be a great pool of labor, both present and future. Many of the developing countries latch onto the concept of becoming a focal point for outsourcing from highly developed economies in search of new markets combined with lower payroll/benefit outlays...

As you've said, time will tell. I'd bet at least half of these entrants become productive members within a decade. Hope so for the health of the EU!

Q

 

[Myriads]

More types of Euros for me to collect in a few years 🙂

Myriads

 

[Neutron]

I Read..

A couple weeks ago that there are still acclimation problems between former East and West Germans. How prevalent is it?

Until Britain decides she's serious about the EU, and countries like Sweden join the EU will always be a not so funny joke.

Tron

 

[red indian]

More new members.........

.......means lots of truely enormous E.U. grants. Which means money down the drain. The combined GDP of the new entrants is less than 40% of the exisisting members.This is going to be big trouble. Cheap labour yes, as Halty points out but as halty also says, a major problem to deal with, as the GDR was for west germany.

Never mind the new members, Spain currently recieves in grants, the same amount that the U.K. pays in to the E.U. and i still have to pay to go on holiday there!!!!

Its time I paid another to trip to Germany I think, a good place to visit. Lager from the very top drawer, and Cologne is full of superb blart!!!

 

[Haltickling]

Just a few statistics: The new EU countries hold 74 million inhabitants, which brings the total population of the EU to more than 450 million people. By now, the EU is the world's second-biggest economic power.

All EU nations celebrated the event with huge street parties in the capitals. The smallest state, Malta, greeted May 1 with the biggest coordinated performance of fireworks in world's history! 😎

PS: Red, what the heck is a "blart"? BTW, if your trip to Germany takes you to Munich, give me a notice. We could have a beer or three together!

 

[Neutron]

Actually China..

Is the world second economic power....

Tron

 

[qjakal]

Tron...

I'm assuming you've never visited China...lol. If they're second, whoever is third is in a LOT of trouble. Other than the large cities China is incredibly poor and balanced on the verge of extinction. I admire their tenacity and the measures they've taken to pull back from the brink, but having seen their infrastructure first hand, you'd never worry about anything but a land war in regards to their capability. They need to focus on economic basics and literally feeding themselves and developing some basic bio controls. SARs is the least of the problems you can expect to see out of there in the next few decades...the plague wouldn't surprise me given the level of civilization they exist in currently.....

Q

 

[desdemona]

I'm not a history or a geography or economy buff. But my two cents on the EU...it amuses me that the "SW" countries still hold out...Swedend and Switzerland? While I don't know the Swedes well enough to say, I'm not surprised by the Swiss. They are very good at shooting themselves in the foot...

Here's hoping that all that unity doesn't go to waste. It's no good having some joiners and some holdouts right in the middle or on the edge. Spoilsports!

 

[MrMacphisto]

It shouldn't be surprising that Switzerland would hold out from joining the EU. This country enjoys a high standard of living and a high GDP per capita. Switzerland will likely remain outside of the EU indefinitely, because neutrality has always been the Swiss way. You have to remember that Switzerland was never a part of NATO, even during the height of the Cold War.

By the way, Sweden IS an EU member... Perhaps, you were thinking of Norway? They've held out for similar reasons to Switzerland. First of all, their currency (the Kroner) is doing pretty well lately, so replacing it with the Euro wouldn't serve their interests. They also have a high standard of living and a high GDP per capita. I wouldn't doubt it if they stay out of the EU as well.

 

[BOFH666]

Watching the news reports on this I was struck by a thought that might seem silly but is worth repeating. Leave the economic and political issues aside for the moment, they'll wait a day or two and will be dealt with as they happen, if they happen. As I watched the thought going through my head was "maybe there is some hope for the future after all".

In the last few years we've seen time and time again self-destructive acts by, seemingly, every global power, rights of individuals getting thrown out the window, deception and deceit at the highest levels of government (at least, we've seen it more clearly than ever before) and a general trend towards only caring about our own self-serving interests. Yet... yet maybe we as a species can rise above it all and actually learn to forget past differences and let go of old hatreds.

I know, I know. I'm an idealist, sue me. Even if it's just a dream, it's at least something worth dreaming about.

 

[MrMacphisto]

It's funny you should take that position, BOFH666. I actually see the EU as a greater potential for corruption than when these countries weren't economically unified. It seems that the larger a governmental body (whether political and/or economic) gets, the more corrupt it becomes. Just take a look at how the American government is: it gets larger in size every decade, and it seems like every new decade brings about more corporate corruption than the one before. The EU strikes me as no different. Granted, I realize that some of the repercussions of the EU have been good. Ireland, for example, is being hailed as an EU success story, since its economy has dramatically improved ever since joining the EU. I'm just saying that when you consolidate most of the economic power of Europe into one institution, some pretty scary things start to happen. I'm mostly referring to the legislative power that the EU has.

 

[BOFH666]

LOL, as I said I'm ignoring the political and economic issues for the sake of this post mate. Just seeing that many countries with such different cultural bases agreeing, in principle anyway, to work towards a common goal makes a nice change from, well, that's a whole other thread. Call it my one non-cynical thought for the month 😉

The US is a good example though. Ultimately there's one government representing one people who, by and large, have the same cultural background. IMHO that makes it a lot easier for corporations to corrupt the government as there's no real opposing force at that level. In theory anyway, wouldn't the EU make such actions harder as anything that one country would want to do has to be morally sound with the others?

The other part of this is, well, a little more controversial and I want to say up front this is not an attack on the US, the people that live there, or anything like that. It is just my observation, nothing more. On the whole the people in Europe seem... more aware of what's going on somehow. America tends to be far more trusting in its government (something I still can't figure out) and tends to attack anything that's seen as "Unamerican". In the UK, and indeed, every other European country I've had the privilege of visiting or talking to people that live there, the public tends to be far more... awkward. Just to pull a random example out of the air here, the idea of our elected leader speaking to a public hearing on a national tragedy in private would, I suspect, have people marching on the streets before the news readers finished the report. Our news coverage tends to be free of bias (or as far as it is possible to be so anyway) and the majority of the people do seem to have a genuine interest in world events.

And when we're pushed too far the people will make it, umm, lets say, clear to those in power that they're playing silly buggers. Maggie Thatcher introduced the poll tax, we set fire to Trafalgar Square. When the French government tries to increase taxes on its lorry drivers said lorry drivers blockade the motorways. When the Italians are asked to pay VAT they loose all the books, remind the bloke from the tax office he's 'family' and pop into town for a coffee. Not that I'm endorsing any of that stuff you understand.

So when it comes to the idea of the European Union... yes, there are problems and yes, the chance for corruption is potentially higher. But, at least for today, I hope and honestly believe that the people will keep it in check.

 

[Strider]

I wonder if they'll ever let Turkey join.Ah well,once the euphoria on the new members dies down,the real fun should start.I wonder how long it'll be before France and Germany have a dust up with Poland.

 

[Haltickling]

Turkey is still out, mostly due to human rights problems. They still oppress the Kurds, and torture of political prisoners still happens quite regularly. No matter how European Istanbul may look, east Anatolia is deepest orient. The next candidates will be Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia, probably 2007.

Poland might turn out an unstabile member. They had presidential elections a few weeks ago, and the new president is anti-EU. He came into office just one day after Poland's EU membership. Quite sad, as Poland was one of the key elements for opening the Iron Curtain, with Lech Walesa and his Solidarnoszcs movement. However, nobody knows the future. We'll see and deal with the problems one by one.

 

[Strider]

I get the impression sometimes that the entire EU project is having an identity crisis,for lack of a better term.