The General Political Thread

[Duuring]

No, it's the European way or the highway.

[joer5835]

The Poles gladly accept every financial benefit they can from the EU but are unwilling to also accept also some of the more negative aspects of the EU. That's not how it works, you're in all the way or you're not. If you don't want to be in all the way, you leave. It's what the UK did.

[Riddlez]

Poland leaving the EU? They'd not make it thourgh winter.

[Edwin]

The UK's population would drop by 30% with a plumbing crisis and mass flooding ensuing shortly afterwards.

[StevenChilton]

No, it's the European way or the highway.

Which just happens to be Merkel's way. One of the best things about Brexit is it magnifies the voting power of the Visegrad group (have fun with them). The Dutch, Germans and other more naturally free trading countries will miss the British voice at the table too so you'll see more French derived, EU protectionist measures.

[Toffee]

Nobody fucking likes British people anyway Steven

[BabyJesus]

Nobody fucking likes British people anyway Steven

[Theodin]

Nobody fucking likes British people anyway Steven

At first I thought Steven quoted this

[junedragon]

The Poles gladly accept every financial benefit they can from the EU but are unwilling to also accept also some of the more negative aspects of the EU. That's not how it works, you're in all the way or you're not. If you don't want to be in all the way, you leave. It's what the UK did.

Its almost like the nature of the beast has changed from an economic partnership to a full on pseudo government imposing its will on member states with threats of sanctions and a struggle if they try to leave it. Its like saying once you've agreed to kiss someone, you are full in "all the way" and have no right to complain once they are holding you down and pulling down your pants.

[Riddlez]

Uhm... you do know the current Polish government is quickly going towards an autocracy ya?

[StevenChilton]

Uhm... you do know the current Polish government is quickly going towards an autocracy ya?

Total rubbish. They just want to reform the judicial system (which has problems with corruption and political bias) and have greater political control over appointment of judges. It depends on what they do with the powers but this is hardly approaching an autocracy. And the irony of the EU complaining about the 'death of democracy'...

I think this is all very selective and politically motivated. Nobody in Brussels gives a shit about Madrid denying Catalonia a vote on independence but suddenly a Polish government hostile to Tusk wants to reform the judiciary and they're all over it.

[Duuring]

By the way, Poland actually voted in favour of the resettlement policy yet is now screaming everything is unfair. Even if they had voted against it, the vote in the European Council was strictly according to the rules. There is nothing undemocratic or unfair about the resettlement policy. The choice is between accepting a legitimate decision that was undertaken by rules all members states have agreed with before joining, or deciding that European Union membership is not in your best interest and thus invoking article 50. They're free to choose.

[StevenChilton]

Well the good news is Brussels can't bully Poland so easily given Hungary has said it will veto Article 7, and if they don't do it then other allied states will. Next big EU split is West vs East, especially when all that British cash dries up and they don't have a big enough bribe for France *and* Eastern Europe. I think we can assume Paris will demand the money and won't take no for an answer-the French talk of "Europe" only when it suits them, just look at Macron. Talked big about how pro-European he was during his election campaign, then just weeks after getting elected blocks the Italians from buying French infrastructure and goes protectionist.

I think the only solution to the EU budgetary crisis post-Brexit is to do what they always do and squeeze the Dutch a bit more. They could probably get a majority of countries in favour of that (and if Duuring doesn't like it the Dutch can always leave).

[Riddlez]

The Dutch won't pay. Not much they'll be able to do about it

[StevenChilton]

The Dutch won't pay. Not much they'll be able to do about it

Then you can leave. Anyone who disobeys the Paris-Berlin stance is anti-European (apparently).