Iceland applies for EU membership | 63 comments (63 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Iceland applies for EU membership (4.00 / 4)

Enlargement, just for the sake of getting bigger, is not reason enough. More members may further handicap the EU politically, I think.

I think that in the minds of our decisionmakers, expansion for the sake of expansion is reason enough. And as long as the EU expands by adding white, christian and generally prosperous populations I suspect there is no downside.

Afaik, all nordic countries that has joined the EU has done so in the wake of economic crises so I do not think that Icelands crises is seen as something negative for the EU, I think it is seen as an opportunity for expansion.

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by A swedish kind of death on Sun Jul 19th, 2009 at 04:49:28 PM EST

Re: Iceland applies for EU membership (4.00 / 2)

If you think of the EU as merely a free trade area, expansion is a good thing. If you want a political EU, disorderly expansion is a problem.

The peak-to-trough part of the business cycle is an outlier. Carnot would have died laughing.

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Jul 19th, 2009 at 04:50:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Iceland applies for EU membership (4.00 / 3)

But in general expansion of a system gives great chances for advancement for those already in the system. And disorderly expansion has the advantage of making accountability harder to demand.

So if you are a politician or bureacrat involved on the higher levels of EU power, you may want a political EU in theory, but more power for yourself in practice. If a political EU does not serve your ~~needs~~ ideals what good is it? And who will defend that if your personal power does not expand?

What power does the lowly citizens of the EU have over the question of Icelandic membership?

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by A swedish kind of death on Sun Jul 19th, 2009 at 05:54:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Iceland applies for EU membership (4.00 / 2)

What power does the lowly citizens of the EU have over the question of Icelandic membership?

Icelandinc membership will take place through a treaty. Any power that citizens have over their government entering into international treaties applies to Icelandic membership.

This is why I think Croatia will not join the EU: there's nothing to prevent Croatia's accession treaty from being defeated either by the Slovenian parliament, or the Slovenian people in a referendum.

The peak-to-trough part of the business cycle is an outlier. Carnot would have died laughing.

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Jul 19th, 2009 at 05:57:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Iceland applies for EU membership | 63 comments (63 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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