Though this is a general EU thread, i'd like to start with two subjects in particular, one of which was brought up by me and one of which was brought up by Taliesin (both in the Latin-America thread):
1) the EU's international policy concerning political conflicts
2) why UK didn't join the EU
So why didn't it? I've heard that it is because its currency is more-valuable than the euro and they would lose on the economic side, but i don't think that's the real reason, as i believe this to be more-than-absurd: if 1 pound equals 1.47 euros and you have 1000 pounds, you'll get 1470 euros, so you're not losing anything. I don't think "losing their identity", which Taliesin said his friends mentioned, is the reason either. So what is the real reason?
1) the EU's international policy concerning political conflicts
The two situations i'd like to mention while we're on the political-conflict subject are Gibraltar (Spain vs UK) and the Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands) (Argentina vs UK). The EU isn't unified in its position on either conflict; about Gibraltar, some countries support Spain and some countries support UK; and, about the Malvinas, some countries support and have even given military help to UK and some countries support Argentina. I don't think any kind of union can be really possible and/or healthy if they only have the same flag and coins but not the same political stance. What do the europeans think about this?me said:Concerning its eastern part, i know that the EU is being hypocritical and stupid. Sure, Romania and Bulgaria or Hungary or whoever it was recently joined, but what about Croatia? Croatia can't join until it resolves any political conflicts it has, namely the dispute of a small coastal region against Slovenia, who claims it even-though it's belonged to Croatia forever. Well, if a country isn't allowed to be in the European Union if it has political conflicts then why isn't a country that's already in it kicked out until it resolves them as well? Now, i'm not sure what the official position of the EU is on this particular matter, but i'm inclined to believe that they support Slovenia.
2) why UK didn't join the EU
So why didn't it? I've heard that it is because its currency is more-valuable than the euro and they would lose on the economic side, but i don't think that's the real reason, as i believe this to be more-than-absurd: if 1 pound equals 1.47 euros and you have 1000 pounds, you'll get 1470 euros, so you're not losing anything. I don't think "losing their identity", which Taliesin said his friends mentioned, is the reason either. So what is the real reason?