European Union -1st of May, Uniting even more people

[ElTigre]

Originally posted by The Vagabond

First you cut it off completely,

Did the EU besiege Kaliningrad? Was it like Berlin, 1948? No, the simplified transit was established before the enlargement took place.

and then throw a small handout.

According to your governor, there are no problems with the transit between Kaliningrad and Russia. A small handout?
Btw, this article explains why there still are some transit restrictions. Title: "Crime-polluted enclave where time stood still"...

Thanks for your help. But if you think that this amount can compensate for the damage caused by the EU expansion, you are mistaken. Moreover, part of this money will go to setting up "efficient" border controls, which were not needed before in the first place.

I was talking about compensation for Kaliningrad only. Concerning the relationship between Russia and the EU in general, here is a quote from your foreign minister:

Russia had initially said EU enlargement would cause it substantial losses, but now says it will suffer no loss at all. Asked to explain this "miracle", Lavrov replied: "There was no miracle. There were just rumours and anecdotes."

Source

And because the EU sets up border controls doesn't mean that Russia must do the same. If you want to, fine, but don't demand compensation from Brussels.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by The Vagabond
Well, it's basically that before we didn't need visas to those countries, but now we need them.

It is clearly annoying, especially for those who need to go to these countries often, but I don't call it "hardline", in that the EU didn't change its ways in the aim of being hostile to Russia.

It's not only the new members who need to be convinved. Brussels needs to be convinced too.

In Brussels, this kind of decisions is taken by envoys of each member-State, who haggle. In general, a concession on an issue is balanced by a cookie in another issue. As such, western EU countries will not be tough negociators on Russian problems (that are really symbolic for the Eastern countries), in return for favors in issues they deem more important..

Sadly, unless the emotionality stops in Easter EU toward your country, I don't see any significant effort to ease the burden of Russia anytime soon. Unless Putin shares his concerns very well with his new French and German best friends.

No citizenship rights for the Russian minority, denying the right for the basic education in their mother's language, to name a few.

Ah yes, I remember having heard of it. I also heard the EU was pressuring these countries repeatedly on the issue. It is unlikely to work, though, because France doesn't enforce the charta on mnority languages.

[BeBMan]

Oh I love the endless whining of Russia that the EU simply puts its own interests above those of a non-member.

[laurentius]

Kaliningrad will always be Köningsberg for me. Maybe you russians should have thinked twice before annexing an isolated non-russian terriotory in the first place. Blame yourselves

[alva]

It is unlikely to work, though, because France doesn't enforce the charta on mnority languages.

They warming to this though, since even fench is starting to be under pressure(especially with the new states joining in).

[Pekka]

Vagabond, Well.. I have heard about it now that you mention it, denying citizenships. Maybe I heard it in here? Anyway, I think that the country has the right to decide who they give citizenship and who they don't. However, there might be Russians there who have always lived there, so it's a bit tricky and if they get systematically turned down then that might be a problem. I don't know about the situation enough to say anything really.

I meant that you can't get to go to school in Finnish in here in some places even if that's the language you speak . Kind of funny. Stupid Ã…landers, we should just napalm them all and kill them until they die. We should just give Ã…land to Sweden for free. That's where they want to belong to, I'm not sure if Swedes want those bastards though. Let's say if we meet again in the hockey WC games, you take a dive and get Ã…land.

And no, Swedes are not the biggest minority in here. Russians are the biggest minority in here, however there are schools in Russia here so that is worked out. But in Ã…land they are POS just like we natives are too. We should join together and strangle them. Ungrateful *****es.

So about the Visas. I still think that Russia should make the first move offering something, and then the EU would consider it seriously and work some kind of cooperation.

[Combat Ingrid]

Pekka, ackording to this site there are about 15 times more Swedish speakers than Russian speakers in Finland

Not sure about ethnic background, though, if that's what you refer to.

[Pekka]

Speakers yes but they are Finns, not Swedes. Russians are the biggest minority.

[Dinner]

Also 444bn euro of extra GDP strenghtening our position as the worlds second largest economy with 9613 billion euro GDP totaling over 18 %(USA 21.3%) of worlds gross domestic product.

Euros love to talk about the EU being one country but the truth is it isn't. Each of these countries is soveriegn and they maintain their own Embassies, Armies, Governments, and tax plans. Sure they work together in some areas but so does ASEAN, Marco Sur, and NAFTA. The EU has a parliment which helps to harmonize legislation but at the end of the day they are still very much seporate countries. Some might wish it other wise but so far they remain that way.

[Pekka]

Oerdin, and the rest of the world likes to point their fingers at Europe as if it was one country .

[Combat Ingrid]

Originally posted by Pekka
Speakers yes but they are Finns, not Swedes.

Then why are they called "Finlands-Svenskar"?

(yes, Im just teasing you, I really don't care about it)

[Pekka]

Because they speak swedish, dance around a pole and eat lots of fish. They are citizens, born in here etc. They are not really a minority. Just retarded

[Combat Ingrid]

I guess then that means the Sami people don't count as a minority group

[Pekka]

No they do count as a minority. If you were a Swede in Finland, you would be minority. Finlands Svenska don't even county. They are so well integrated, they are Finns, only thing is they might have Swedish origin last name but that's it. They are not minority!!11111111

[Pekka]

I mean that's like saying that some American whose forefathers came from Ireland would be Irish minority today.