A Future in Europe?: Commissioner Confronts London on EU Loyalty

[sysop]

Does Britain belong in the European Union? There are plenty both in the United Kingdom and on the Continent who have their doubts. Now, with the debate over the EU's next budget raging, a European Commissioner has challenged London to decide. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel is also losing her patience over the squabble.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...-a-864941.html

[Inglenda2]

There is little to say against British Prime Minister David Cameron taking a tough line on the EU budget. Those, who take the trouble to read the Newsletters provided by the EU, can hardly not be amazed, by the extreme wastage of taxpayers money in Brussels.
For this reason alone it can only be of advantage to us all for Britain to remain in the EU!
For a European Commissioner to challenge London’s right to membership, is unfortunately just another indication of the political arrogance which causes scepticism amongst the British community.
Not Britain is the greatest problem for a free democratic Europe, but governments which work against their own citizens. Frau Angela Merkel & Co., for example, did not have the courage to ask the German people whether they wanted the Euro or not. She knew quite well that most of the population were against it. The present crisis shows how right they were! A common currency, without common taxes and social systems, cannot ever be stable.

To say: “Many in the European Union have long rolled their eyes when conversation turns to the United Kingdom” may very well be true, but further European integration is only possible when all are prepared to take the same chances and risks. At the moment there is no sign of such a fair basis, with just a few countries paying the bills – many of which are unnecessary – and others holding out their hands for more.
A budget which allows Brussels to pass taxpayers money on to corrupt and incapable national governments and other organisations, within and outside of Europe, is something no intelligent European observer could support, unless of course he, or she, is one of the over-privileged who benefits therefrom.
The European Commission would do well to apply the same austerity measures, which it demands from EU members, to its own future plans, otherwise it might be the general public which will lose its patience. Should that occur, not just the Euro but the whole European idea could collapse.
The British government may be a catastrophe for Britain, but in this case it has shown a good example for those capable of deeper thought. Of course Janusz Lewandowski’s arguments can also be understood, after all, his country is one of the main profit makers of the present system!

[blaurance@fsmail.net]

Originally Posted by sysop

Does Britain belong in the European Union? There are plenty both in the United Kingdom and on the Continent who have their doubts. Now, with the debate over the EU's next budget raging, a European Commissioner has challenged London to decide. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel is also losing her patience over the squabble.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...-a-864941.html

the EU and EURO are bad ideas badly executed and we should stop wasting our time and resources

of course we should be good neighbours and trade with the rest of Europe

BTW it is not the EU which brought peace and stability to Europe it was the allied forces of Russia, Britain and USA

[dp0001]

Originally Posted by sysop

Does Britain belong in the European Union? There are plenty both in the United Kingdom and on the Continent who have their doubts. Now, with the debate over the EU's next budget raging, a European Commissioner has challenged London to decide. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel is also losing her patience over the squabble.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...-a-864941.html

Fascinating that a net contributor country which questions how EU money is being spent is called a 'birth defect' that shouldn't be part of the EU while corrupt 3rd world banana republics like Greece, and mafia-run dictatorships like Romania and Bulgaria must be 'kept in at all costs'. Please EU expel us and our money, I'm sure we can manage without you.

[thorpeman@sky.com]

No we dont want to be in the EU but we are attached by a ball & chain & no one is giving us the key to take them off & get out. Its a communist undemocratic collection of failed politicians & the proof of this is in the pudding!

[pmoseley]

At a time when national governments within the EU are forcing their populations to endure harsher austerity, then why should unelected officials in the EU Commission have the right to demand more from the said governments to pay for even more EU bureaucracy? In any case, Britain's rebate is largely based on its relatively low income from EU farm susidies because of its relatively small and efficient farming system. Reduce these inefficient farm subsidies, and the UK would be far more amenable to reducing its rebate. But of course France, with it's huge farming lobby, objects to this. So it is left to Der Spiegel to bring out the old whipping boy tactics of blaming it all on Britain's 'anti-european' stance instead of blaming France, the real culprit.

[blaurance@fsmail.net]

Originally Posted by sysop

Does Britain belong in the European Union? There are plenty both in the United Kingdom and on the Continent who have their doubts. Now, with the debate over the EU's next budget raging, a European Commissioner has challenged London to decide. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel is also losing her patience over the squabble.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...-a-864941.html

the UK requires a preferred trade partner status - with no loss of sovereignty and a small contribution and no ECHR

[sylvesterthecat]

'Loyalty' is an interesting word. If someone freely pledges loyalty to a country, an idea or even an individual, then that is a serious matter and the person should be held to that promise of loyalty.

I do not remember pledging anything to the EU. In fact the politicians in Brussels can claim my allegiance until hell freezes over but they neither have it nor will they ever get it.

European politicians criticise David Cameron as a Eurosceptic when in fact many people here see him is a Europhile who is being pushed inexorably towards an in/out referendum on Europe, by a highly Eurosceptic electorate. In fact a Thatcherite era politician was recently bemoaning the fact that the British electorate had gone beyond Euroscepticism and was now Euro-hostile and that ANY referendum question containing 'Euro' or 'European' would be lost.

It's a pity really, I think the European peoples were actually starting to like each other and now we're back, bickering and fighting like cats in a sack again. Plus ça change, plus c'est la męme chose.

[titus_norberto]

The standard British & Bros position is “placing a finger in every pie…”.

The truth is the fact that none knows how the world will restructure after the triumph or the collapse of the EU experiment, that includes the UK.

If it triumphs the British want to be the founding fathers of the creature, if it fails, then they want to be able first to cut losses and secondly taking the moral stance of “we told you”.

On the other hand, the UK does not want to lose their “favourite partner” spot with the US.

In fact during the strong days of Maggy Thatcher (the ice-cream maker, since some political colleague commented about her top skill in chemistry as been a master in stuffing plain air in ice-creams in order to make them look bigger at no cost…) and the weak Hollywood cowboy Ronald Reagan, Maggy even ruled the US via Sejanus alias General Haig…

There is a strong desire to do that AGAIN, a certain possibility, in my view, considering the “calibre” of recent US presidents and candidates.

Even more, it would be a hundred-year regression to the last hefty days of the British Emporium pre WW I if they manage wrestling control of both acronyms, the EU and the US at the same time.

Many temptations but too many uncertainties…

One thing is certain, considering the shifty and opportunistic traditional attitude of the Brits, perfidy Albion, they would never leave the EU unless they are forced to decide (paying, I mean); they will meander and appear aloof and distracted in order to avoid taking a formal decision for as long as they can but, if they happen to be pressed, they will consider the context and take proper action according to that, not according to principles (as French or Spanish might do).

Thus, choosing carefully the MOMENT to ask it might determine the outcome…

This is called Hume’s fork: “can we make money here ? No. Then cast it to the flames !”.

On the side of the EU acronym, I would say that the quid of the question is recalling Kennedy’s famous phrase: “First think what the UK can do for the EU rather than thinking about what the EU can do for Britain”.

In my view, only TROUBLE.

Norberto

[McSponge]

I've read some rubbish in my time noberto, but what you have written is olympic gold medal standard rubbish!