Is the EU a success?

Question

Hi I need to right a report for Business Class on the EU: I've written about the Euro, the Single Market and given a brief history, but now I need to right a colnclusion that includes: Is the EU a success, Do UK businesses benefit and also discuss the future. What do you think? Is the EU a success and why? Long answers welcome lol :-) Thanks

Answer 1

No!

Answer 2

They will eventually.  Ireland brought it to a halt right now by refusing to sign on at the moment.  They caught a wiff of the nonsense that we have to deal with here in the US and said to themselves you gotta be kidding?!  Are you stupid?! why are you regulating the heights of the swing sets!?  Curb your Authority!

Answer 3

I am amazed at how well the EU is doing.  When they first formed, I figured the more volatile Italians would mess things up, or the French would start making special demands, or Germany would just get too bossy.

However, what I failed to take into consideration is that the EU is run like a very boringly bureaucratic business.  The pinheads in Brussels control the functioning of the EU, and they are sticklers for details.  One respondant mentioned they regulate everything, even the height of swingsets.  I thought nonsense like that would derail them at some point too, but all these ludicrous laws just seem to be quietly adopted.

The biggest reason?  Money!  Once a country gets into the EU, the property values usually double for many areas.

The problem is, the EU is silently creating a lot of people who Americans would consider poor.  When these countries had their own currencies and dictated their own policies, people of modest means could still live well.  However, nowadays it costs $3 for a can of Red Bull in a supermarket there, food prices have gone insane, and clothing is shockingly expensive.  It is commonplace for a European to spend $200 or more on a pair of jeans.  Shoes are even more ridiculously priced.

In about 20 years, I think they will have a time of reckoning.  A lot of EU residents simply won't be able to afford EU prices.  Salaries certainly don't warrant the extremely high prices of everything here.  I now live in the Czech Republic, and a typical salary is around $1000 a month.  If you had to rent an apartment, the rent alone would easily eat up 40% of your salary, even if you live in a very small place.  The only asset many people have is their now over-priced home, and if they sell that, they won't have enough money for the astronomical rents charged here.

In other words, salaries aren't keepinig pace with the huge price increases created by EU membership.  People who used to be able to buy food basics like bread and eggs are finding out that a trip to the grocery store is an economic nightmare.  Much of the "prosperity" of the EU is based on phony economic growth.  All those over-valued apartments and houses are too expensive for new owners, although people are still buying them with very long term mortgages.  In time, they will have the same mortgage crisis as the U.S. just experienced.

One element of EU society that seems better than the U.S. is that jobs don't appear to be so hard to find in many EU countries.  While an immigrant to France may not have an easy time, here in the Czech Republic people are changing jobs with ease.  There are more jobs than qualified applicants.

Answer 4

No the EU is only a success to the EU.

Some facts which are often misrepresented by the EU.

The EU has prevented a war in Europe. I think NATO, USA and many others might have contributed.

60% of UK exports go to Europe. True, but some go to non EU countries, some go to Rotterdam freeport for onward transit outside Europe. Net result 40-45% of our exports go to EU countries.

We do not need to belong to the EU to export anyway, and why did we upset our previous trading partners to achieve a small increase in trade close to home.

Check out www.openeurope.com and compare it to www.europa.eu

Answer 5

Depends on the definition of success.

I would say it is a success. Considering the history of Europe; its wars, revolutions, crusades, counter-crusades, empires, hegemonic powers, bi-polarity (Soviet East, US West), etc. the European countries have finally settled down and unified to an extent and are using a joint voice in international politics (rather than the voices given to them by the US and/or Russia). The European Union is nothing like a federation and that was not its envisioned purpose, nor is there any real movement to take it that way (no doubt there is a minority). Its purpose is to set some common protocols and policies across the entire continent; open borders, freedom of movement throughout the member countries, common climate change initiatives, etc.

Answer 6

doesn't look like it, they are all over the place with the Lisbon treaty, hope it gets worse and worse for them myself.

Answer 7

LOL

Answer 8

EU will be like the USA....wars for resources and dangers of economy

read European defens paper

EU is the biggest sh.it but its good to be unite against the USA

Answer 9

yes it is a success for the gravy train

of 'euro thieves' (politicos to you & me)