Will the EU succeed or fail?

[vincemunday]

Merkel calls for a summit to discuss migration and the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia refuse to attend, is the stalwart of the EU losing her grip abroad as well? Her veiled threats to sack Seehofer also seem to have been pee in the wind, he threatened her right back with a coalition meltdown, needless to say she’s been seen off with her tail firmly between her legs. Surely not even she can survive this?

[Lone Star]

Merkel calls for a summit to discuss migration and the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia refuse to attend, is the stalwart of the EU losing her grip abroad as well? Her veiled threats to sack Seehofer also seem to have been pee in the wind, he threatened her right back with a coalition meltdown, needless to say she’s been seen off with her tail firmly between her legs. Surely not even she can survive this?

Those Eastern European countries are enjoying the rebirth of their culture and autonomy since being under Soviet domination (not part of the USSR) for so long. They don't seem to be willing to allow a different "foreign" entity in the form of the EU to over-run them and their societies. Populism and nationalism appears to be strong in those countries. That doesn't blend well with the globalist agenda, and it doesn't nurture freedom and liberty.

[vincemunday]

Macron endearing himself to populists and nationalists once again by referring to them as lepers, looks like Poland are joining their neighbouring countries too, oh dear....

[Lone Star]

The Associated Press is reporting that EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is urging EU member countries to put more money into an Africa trust fund to set up migrant screening centers outside Europe.

EU leaders are set later this week to plan screening migrants seeking asylum.

A similar effort existed between the EU and Turkey in 2015. That arrangement has been at a cost of more than 3 billion euros.

[vincemunday]

The effort of 2015 was about as much use as a chocolate teapot, the shores of Greece and its islands are still invaded daily by hordes of economic migrants and these latest proposals will do little to stem the tide elsewhere, very few of these African migrants have a valid reason to claim asylum and they'll continue to bypass the correct channels in an effort to get to Europe, I'm reading there is a reluctance by African states to host these centres anyway. Another wasteful project to be undertaken by the unelected morons of the EU, thank heavens we're out in 9 months.

[vincemunday]

The EU Commission has agreed with Macron that EU member states who refuse to resettle third world migrants must be made to pay a price and should be sanctioned, another nail in the EU coffin, Eastern Europe will not be pushed around like that.

[Lone Star]

Lots of problems bubbling right now.

Merkel, the biggest globalist of them all, is in political hot water. After she was unable to secure any consensus or deal at an EU summit on migration, she appears to be struggling to hold onto her job.

She is also squabbling with her interior minister over border policy regarding migrants.

Populists/Nationalists appear to be on the rise in Germany.

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Now the EU is still talking penalties against the Eastern bloc countries for refusing/limiting migrant immigration. I think that'll blow up in the EU's face.

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Italy still banging pots and pans in the Populist/Nationalist tune.

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And then speaking of penalties, this is the most hilarious of all.

British World Cup fans have been warned that yelling pro-Brexit chants may bring sanctions by FIFA. The organizaton warned fans of the “Three Lions” against “displaying insulting or political slogans in any form” and “uttering insulting words or sounds” during Thursday’s upcoming match in Kaliningrad, according to the UK Telegraph.

A FIFA spokesman added that “of course” fans could risk some sort of punishment for their team.

Indeed, there have been warning signs that some may use the game as a Brexit platform as some have already taken to calling Thursday’s game the “Brexit derby.” Pro-Brexit chants have already broken out at games in the past, including the 2016 European Championship where British fans yelled: “F**k Off Europe, we’re all voting out.”

All of these restrictions on speech are ridiculous.

[vincemunday]

Fancy telling football fans that they aren’t allowed to sing Brexit songs, talk about red rag to a bull, the football lads alliance are some of the most fervent supporters of Brexit and I very much doubt they’ll be silenced.

[vincemunday]

Interesting news from Italy, their government is getting more and more popular with voters. Lega now leads and the combined support for Lega & 5 Star has hit near 60%. They love Salvini's no nonsense approach - He's turning the boats away! Not what the bloc was hoping for I'm sure and once they start penalising them for refusing to accept the migrants Lega and 5 star will be even more popular.

[Lone Star]

Marine Le Pen made a good point the other day:

“To entrust [the EU] to fight against immigration does not seem reasonable to me.”

She's spot on. How do you trust a group that is "immigrationist" and wants no borders to control Europe's borders and those of the individual nation states? You can't.

Even though she lost in her election bid for president in France, she was returned to the National Assembly as the representative for the Pas-de-Calais shortly afterwards. She rebranded the Front National as the National Rally, and she has once again emerged as a credible active voice.

Le Pen has pushed back against Macron for denouncing the populist movements rising across Europe in general and Italy in particular as a kind of “leprosy”, saying his comments “insult not only tens of millions of Europeans but rulers of countries of the European Union”. Intelligent political move appealing to the individual cultures/societies that comprise Europe. Macron calls his view "Euroscepticism", but it's a nice try to spin globalism.

Le Pen praised Matteo Salvini, who leads the nationalist Lega party which makes up one half of Italy’s new populist coalition government, for being “the first to say ‘no'” to the immigration policies of a European Union which she described as being “in full implosion”. 80% of Italians support their new nationalist/populist government.

Le Pen puts forth the argument that the EU should step away from this situation and return immigration policy to the individual nation states to determine for themselves. She also argued to abolish the borderless, intra-EU Schengen area once denounced as “effectively an international passport-free zone for terrorists” by Interpol chief Robert Noble.

Le Pen seems to be echoing the rising concern of many Europeans regarding their individual countries.

[christian_2013]

I don't think with Italy it's as simple as just stopping the boats of immigrants unfortunately.
Italy has a massive debt problem with the European commission, IMF and European central bank the same institutions that are not surprisingly globalist's in there vision controlling this debt.
Unlike the threats made to Eastern European countries within the EU block for not accepting migrants Italy is in a position not so dissimilar to Greece, if they don't do as they are told by the dictatorship of the EU then the economy of Italy is easily manipulated.
We may see the economic crisis that Greece is in being imposed on Italy time will tell on how that plays out.

[Lone Star]

I don't think with Italy it's as simple as just stopping the boats of immigrants unfortunately.
Italy has a massive debt problem with the European commission, IMF and European central bank the same institutions that are not surprisingly globalist's in there vision controlling this debt.
Unlike the threats made to Eastern European countries within the EU block for not accepting migrants Italy is in a position not so dissimilar to Greece, if they don't do as they are told by the dictatorship of the EU then the economy of Italy is easily manipulated.
We may see the economic crisis that Greece is in being imposed on Italy time will tell on how that plays out.

Agree.

And it only shows what a mess the EU has become. They can't treat everyone the same with the same consequences because there's no way that every country is the same regarding their contributions, wants, needs, cultures, societies, successes, failures. It's just another example of why socialism has never been sustainable.

[Doodoo]

Now lets look at what was said from another point of view

"They can't treat everyone the same with the same consequences because there's no way that every "country/state/province" is the same regarding their contributions, wants, needs, cultures, societies, successes, failures. It's just another example of why socialism has never been sustainable"

By replacing the word Country with the word State or Province this statement applies to all cultures/countries
Every country has different areas that contribute different things and have different problems.

This is NOT a socialism problem by any means

[Lone Star]

Now lets look at what was said from another point of view

"They can't treat everyone the same with the same consequences because there's no way that every "country/state/province" is the same regarding their contributions, wants, needs, cultures, societies, successes, failures. It's just another example of why socialism has never been sustainable"

By replacing the word Country with the word State or Province this statement applies to all cultures/countries
Every country has different areas that contribute different things and have different problems.

This is NOT a socialism problem by any means

Where socialism is concerned, it is always true and always a socialism problem.

In a constitutional republic that has a separation of powers -- like the US -- the states have freedoms and autonomy that are not controlled by the federal government -- as it is in the EU. The EU attempts to control almost everything, and even bringing great harm to many European societies.

Specifically, where immigration is concerned in the US, the federal government controls immigration for the BENEFIT of each of the states equally. In the EU, their allowance of mass immigration is viewed as a great RISK by many of the countries, and now the EU seeks to penalize countries that do not want the risk to their citizens. Huge difference.

[Giggle]

Dissimilar cultures, languages, values make for an unbalanced relationship. Precisely why the EU is a tenuous, fragile association. Originally designed to compete with the superior US economy, the EU lacks synergy, loyalty, and backbone. By removing individual countries' fiscal options through the common currency, the weaker PIIGS are now hamstrung and have become defacto slave-states to Germany and France. The EU will certainly fail.

[vincemunday]

Agreed, this isn’t a problem caused by Socialism it’s rather a problem caused by Globalism, a bloc like the EU is bound to fail because of each countries different economic requirements, it’s impossible to control Greece or Italy’s economy using the same economic factors as Germany’s. Unemployment for example has proven to be a huge problem for Greece, particularly among young people, industrial output has been high in Germany but lower in Italy and Spain and add to this the cultural and work ethic differences and controlling a Global European Economy is all but impossible. Had the bloc remained a trading partnership I’m sure it would have been a huge success, each country could have kept control of its currency, their interest rates and currencies and hence their own economies, the Euro was important but it should have remained a common trading currency like the ECU. Unfortunately the unelected presidents of the EU etc aren’t content with this scenario and are pushing for a mega state, it will NEVER work.

[Giggle]

Also why ASEAN is doomed to chronic, futile purposelessness. Other than a loose geographic tie, what do Singapore and Laos have in common? Practically nothing. (same could be said for the United Nations, too)

[Lone Star]

Agreed, this isn’t a problem caused by Socialism it’s rather a problem caused by Globalism, a bloc like the EU is bound to fail because of each countries different economic requirements, it’s impossible to control Greece or Italy’s economy using the same economic factors as Germany’s. Unemployment for example has proven to be a huge problem for Greece, particularly among young people, industrial output has been high in Germany but lower in Italy and Spain and add to this the cultural and work ethic differences and controlling a Global European Economy is all but impossible. Had the bloc remained a trading partnership I’m sure it would have been a huge success, each country could have kept control of its currency, their interest rates and currencies and hence their own economies, the Euro was important but it should have remained a common trading currency like the ECU. Unfortunately the unelected presidents of the EU etc aren’t content with this scenario and are pushing for a mega state, it will NEVER work.

My reference to socialism is mainly due in part to stronger and more successful countries having to pick up the slack for the less productive and less fiscally responsible.

Globalism is at the heart, and what is globalism really? The removal of the individual from the equation and looking only at what's best for the group. Putting the group before the individual. Putting the group of nation states ahead of the needs of any individual nation state. That is basically what socialism demands of its followers.

Giggle made a great point, and I agree with him also.

Dissimilar cultures, languages, values make for an unbalanced relationship.

In most unified groups (the US and Canada as examples), all of those components are basically the same. An umbrella of one currency -- the euro -- doesn't solve those component issues for the EU.

[Lone Star]

. . . Had the bloc remained a trading partnership I’m sure it would have been a huge success, each country could have kept control of its currency, their interest rates and currencies and hence their own economies, the Euro was important but it should have remained a common trading currency like the ECU. . . .

I agree with this completely, vm.

The nation states have given up control of their own societies and losing their cultures and values.

[vincemunday]

The most important factor in the US is language you all speak Americanish and you share a common culture. We have to consider that most of Europe has spent thousands of years beating the livings out of each other, the cultures of each country are quite unique despite being neighbours.

I love this kid... https://youtu.be/Q8pNh6LqFh8