The EU

[Amandistan]

Why isn't Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Ukraine, Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo part of the EU?
Is it by choice or are they being rejected?
I was told the EU was in place for purposes of Bureaucracy and these countries are too poor to meet the EU standards.

Is that true and by that logic, does that mean that the EU wants to throw out countries such as Greece and Ireland for  not being as rich as say Sweden or Germany? 

I get the main purposes and I think it's good but if only certain countries are allowed to be a part, then how is that fair to them? 

[Bunny]

I think the idea is contribution to wealth sharing. The countries you name cannot contribute any wealth to the big pot. Ireland can. Greece did. Its an open jury on weather the United States of Europe is a good idea. Personally I think its mainly positive.Butttttt.....it has its flaws. More so with criminal legislation I feel. And a human rights act that forgets the victim at times.

[Rusco]

Look, many of the countries you mentioned have been part of the Warsaw Pact. In the 80's and earlier many of them "had" to be under that pressure. Times have changed a lot since that but for sure there are still things affecting.

Some of the countries you mentioned have also had a special role during the 2nd World War even they didn't want it.

The history of Europe is full of wars and conflicts that still have an affection. Believe it or not.

[Rusco]

But if you'd like to see an exception, come to Finland or go to see Estonia.

[Pol]

The main problem is Europe is currently deep in the shit maybe if it can sort itself out then it can look at bringing in other countries. I'm not sure anyone would want to join just now either

[szmurf]

Agree with Pol, with the addition that there is a rise in nationalist/populist activity in certain EU countries that are calling for leaving the EU.  Difficult to add to the numbers when you're in the mess that the EU is in now.

[c]

There's a difference between being in the EU and being in the Euro.

The EU started as a trading community aiming to reduce customs barriers and encourage free movement of goods etc.

Later ideals of common laws, tax bases, currencies, armies were mooted.

While the idea of having a common currency encourages tradeflows, the difference between economies - what they produce, how people are taxed, what the state chooses to spend taxes, and how much they choose to/have to borrow - causes conflict. Only if a federal model for Europe were adopted would a currency have a chance of working well in the long term (which is why the USA works despite being larger and having widely differing local economy) And lots of people do not want a federal Europe because, as was stated above, there are differences in laws (and even the concept behind legal systems) customs and political systems that would have to be accepted; you can't make all the people happy all of the time

[Amandistan]

I have heard Turkey wants in but is being denied because of a human rights issue.

[Pim]

I have heard Turkey wants in but is being denied because of a human rights issue.

Amongst others like freedom of press, opression of all sorts and ofcourse Europe don't like muslims, that's why a lot of people are scared of Turkey. But for me I don't care whatever they believe, just that Erdogan is a tyrannic king who rules the land like any other dictator.

Stuff like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Palace,_Ankara

[Rusco]

The human rights issue with Turkey started in mids of ninetites when their state oppressed Kurdish population who therefore fought the state. It lasted long time and many seemed to suggest that if both sides stop it there would be a chance with joining the union. But it didn't still happen.

I'd see it so that Turkey actually have been famous and victorious in fighting against Talebans. Kurds in front of them. I think the Kurdish population should be honoured more because of that. But for how long the EU is going to look this minority is getting tortured by fanatic side of muslims?

[Pumpkin]

The real problem with the EU has a lot to do with what c has proposed here.

It was a great idea when it was limited to economic concerns up to 1995, but the idea of broader integration in terms of politics and law with the founding of the European Union is something I would certainly object to by all accounts.

In its current state the EU is unworkable in the long-run. The absurdity of a country like Germany using the same money as Greece is there for all to see.

As for keeping countries out of the EU, it's a long story of one or another, but what is obvious is that the political situations are significant. For example, I wouldn't even consider Kosovo a country - never mind admit it to the EU. As for Turkey, it has a lot to offer in economic terms, but, Christ Almighty, when you ignore what you did with the Armenians and Kurds and exercise increasing dictatorial powers under Erdogen over 81 or so million people...well, I think it would be wise to leave it outside.

[JohnnyM]

In its current state the EU is unworkable in the long-run. The absurdity of a country like Germany using the same money as Greece is there for all to see.

And Germany has done extremely well out of keeping their currency down compared to their trading partners - which has greatly contributed to Germany current enviable position

[JohnnyM]

More so with criminal legislation I feel. And a human rights act that forgets the victim at times.

The European Court of Human Rights is completely separate to the EU - despite what the right wing media would have you believe. In the UK the Murdoch controlled right wing press will jump on a few distorted stories of cases and fail to report the thousands of cases that up hold citizens rights - which is yours and mine.

[Master Ray]

Afraid I have to agree with the non-EU believers... a nice concept, but it's like taking pieces from a bunch of different jigsaws and expecting them to fit together...

Too many agendas, too many vastly different financial scenarios, too much (often) unpleasant history...

But I've never been shy of saying how gloomy I am about the state of those awkward things called 'people'...

I'd love to be proved wrong.  I suspect I won't be.

 

[Amandistan]

Kosovo is a country. They claimed independence from Serbia, Just some nations don't recognize it.