Old Europe left out in the cold?

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph


Germany still pays its membership fee to the EU. Mind you, that it is by far the largest by both amount and proportion. Perhaps we should propose to increase the fee for the other members to the same proportion?

Germany does pay the most but it is the largest economy, as a peortion of its GDP it is no higher than the UK's.

Anyway Geramny won't want to increase the amount it pays.

The UK won't incraese its contribution until we stop subsidising unprofitable farms in order to keep french politicans from having manure spread on their offices.Or before the massive gravy train of brusels and strasbourg is reduced

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by Lancer
EU powerplay...exerting influence...what's this one or that one up to? Look at this EU country...they are a joke...bla bla bla.

Like sands through the hour glass, these are the days or our allies.

Or

As the World Turns... europe spins.

It's a big soap opera.

i think we are talking about internal EU politics. Believe it or not they do play a part in europes outward policies as do US internal politics.

[HershOstropoler]

Lance, America's internal squibbling isn't any better. Often enough it's worse. What we seem to lack is a chief who delivers a record amount of drivel once a year so everyone rolls over for 5 minutes.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by TheStinger
Germany does pay the most but it is the largest economy, as a peortion of its GDP it is no higher than the UK's.

Anyway Geramny won't want to increase the amount it pays.

The UK won't incraese its contribution until we stop subsidising unprofitable farms in order to keep french politicans from having manure spread on their offices.Or before the massive gravy train of brusels and strasbourg is reduced

Agreed. Agricultural subsidies are evil and to be reduced by (almost) all means, on this point I understand and even sympathize with the position of the UK. But I wouldn't deny the whole thing. IIRC, the UK farmers were happy to get a 80% compensation for their mad cows from these funds (as opposed to the usual 70%), although the quick spread of the disease was their own fault by denying it for years and ignoring numerous foreign warnings.

[TheStinger]

I have no problem with UK farmers not getting subsidies.

BSE wasn't the fault of individual farmers it was a system which slaways took the view of the producer rather than the consumer, this is now changing.

I think we now have the tightest contols in europe to stop infected meat entering the food chain

[red_jon]

Wow, so the leaders of these countries support the war. Polls have indicated that the British people do not currently want a war with Iraq.

I say yay France and Germany.

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by red_jon
Wow, so the leaders of these countries support the war. Polls have indicated that the British people do not currently want a war with Iraq.

I say yay France and Germany.

Polls say they are willing to support a war with UN backing. If the only reason the UN refused to back it was because of France's veto then I think that would change.

[red_jon]

Hence the reason I said currently - should the UN's position change, then I'm sure the British would support a war.

But at the moment, it doesn't seem very popular.

[Fidel]

Originally posted by jimmytrick
Just for the record. On the street in America, in 45 years, I have never heard a soul give a damn about what Europeans think.

well, since half of americans cannot find atlantic on the map, they are certainly not expected to hear of 'europe'

[Fidel]

Originally posted by HershOstropoler
Hey LR, how's it going. Are you back to Beograd?

Oh I am fine. I am currently back to Budapest for a couple of weeks. Did not log often to Polly while in Belgrade, too much work and a crappy net connection.

Who's behind that nick? Roland?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by jimmytrick
Just for the record. On the street in America, in 45 years, I have never heard a soul give a damn about what Europeans think.

You dont hagn out on the right streets

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by LaRusso


hm, i am not so sure. do you really think that lackey countries like hungary, czech republic and the like will hesitate one minute to suck it up to germans when it comes to their economic leadership on the continent. to say that this has been a blow to franco-german domination is to say that castro is undermining the hegemony of the US on the western hemisphere.

Hungary and the likes have very little left of the foreign policy and they have decided to use it as a cheap propaganda tool and make empty calls for unity on issues they certainly do not want to make a stand on. Please ask Hungarians how many batallions they are sending to Iraq.

The czechs have sent a unit specializing in Chem-bio detection/protection (Warsaw pact experience comes in handy ) Hungary is base for training Iraqi exiles.
They all add moral weight - far from being lackeys, they are the heros of the last half of the 20th c - Havel symbolizes this.

[Fidel]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


The czechs have sent a unit specializing in Chem-bio detection/protection (Warsaw pact experience comes in handy ) Hungary is base for training Iraqi exiles.
They all add moral weight - far from being lackeys, they are the heros of the last half of the 20th c - Havel symbolizes this.

You mean Havel who could not wait for his wife to properly rest six feet under and married a crazy actress straight away. Ask any Czech about that, and he will tell you what kind of a moral posture Havel has nowadays...

Czechs have sent that unit in the first Gulf War. Let us just count the number of East European soldiers who will be sent to the GUlf this time. I always have a problem with heroism from distance. All states who think (but REALLY think) that Saddam represents a grave danger for humanity should send a massive number of troops and be prepared to suffer heavy casualties for the future of humankind (this sounds grand, doesn't it).

[HershOstropoler]

Originally posted by LaRusso

Oh I am fine. I am currently back to Budapest for a couple of weeks. Did not log often to Polly while in Belgrade, too much work and a crappy net connection.

Still at uni, or found something else?

"Who's behind that nick? Roland?"

How do you know?

[Bereta_Eder]

Some great allies....