There's a referendum to be held amongst Croatian citizens on wether Croatia should enter the EU or not, so I was wondering if people could share their reasons for and against joining. I was hoping that some present EU citizens would share their insight on how the EU made the lives of ordinary people in their home countries better or worse. Thanks everyone in advance for any constructive input you might share with the rest of us waiting to see what awaits us there. -- I posted the same topic in the "Eastern Europe" section of the forum to compare the results--
First, as a French citizen of the EU, the prospect of being bailed out by Germany is much more appealing than that of being invaded. Also, I am pleased to be part of such an international alliance which promotes peace and cooperation between all of its memberstates. Finally, I am glad to be able to travel without too many difficulties and avoid having to do business with greedy people in change offices. I posted the same post in the Eastern Europe section... What's the deal with this Eastern/Western divide anyway? On a map, Europe is just the Western tip of Asia
Yes, but some East European countries joined the EU only recently and under different circumstances than, let's say the UK, France, or Germany.
My country joined the EU and the euro, it has good and bad consequences. I think Croatia will just be one more country for germany to exploit.
First of all I would like to congratulate Croatia for joining this great alliance. There are some advantages: 1. You can study in any EU member like in your own. 2. You will be able to work in any EU member. There will be countries to will keep some restictions for some time but in the end they will be forced to raise them. 3. Free travel. 4. Money for investements from ECB. I also want to prevent Croatia about the british anti-EU propaganda, about Germany sucking the blood out of all the countries and the euro collapsing. The worst thing that can happen is for Greece to leave the Eurozone. One more thing for the Croatians. Don't expect the next day to live like in Heaven. Economical growth and reforms take time.
We are a founding member of what is now the EU. It has been here all my life, so I don't know anything else... I think maybe some members of "new memberstates" could help you further (e.g. Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, etc.). I think the answer for you, as Croatia being an ex-member of Yugoslavia, may lay with Slovenians -- they were part of Yugoslavia as well. All I have to say to you, 13thMonkey, is: welcome home! Very nice clip from EUTube on "20th Anniversary of democratic change in Central and Eastern Europe" [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhS55x8J7pw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhS55x8J7pw[/ame]
Flag,... I was just thinking about you, my friend. I was reading an article about the BRICS, and I tried to put myself in your shoes what I would do if a massive country on the other side of the globe (in your case: Brazil) would have Dutch as it's native language. Sure, we Dutch-speakers have some watered-down version in South Africa (Afrikaans is a "daughter language of Dutch) but the influence of the pesky Brits bothers me... So, Flag -- with all the trouble Portugal is in, which is bearable ofcourse, have you ever considered emigrating (not necessary for live, but maybe for a couple of years) to Brazil... Anyways,... on your post: I'm not buying it. The fall of USSR was a good thing for all Europeans on the long term! We are still working "on the long term". There will come a time when we'all travel freely from Lisbon to Vladivostok!
I have considered emigrate but not to Brazil, I want to be able to live my house without being robbed kidnaped and shot. Of course thousands and thousands of portuguese young people who just graduated are leaving to Brazil but I am thinking of other countries where I get better pay and dont have to worry about urban guerrilas like Canada or Switzerland. And the USSR fall was good at the time but if the traitors didnt destroy the legacy of Stalin it wouldnt be necessary.
You know, Russia is increasingly popular in Belgium. I mean,... more and more people are getting interested in it. We always "dreamt" of exotic and faraway lands like China, Brazil, South Africa -- but we didn't yet realized that there was a sleeping giant next door... My favourite TV channel -- Canvas -- is broadcasting all sorts of stuff of Russia. Anyways, I recommend that you watch "Children of the Gulag". I'm an emotional guy, as you might have experienced (although I never, or almost never, cry out of personal sadness), and my heart broke when watching that small documentry. And all your "I <3 Stalin" madness will dissappear... The documentry is from Romain Icard (France), and orginally called "Les Enfants du Goulag", I'm sure it will air on public Portuguese TV...
There were gulags, but it isnt a piece of propaganda tough that will change my mind of the great tribute Stalin paid to Russia.
