Quote Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla View Post
Brussels doesn't collect taxes though, and member states won't let it. That is why a currency union was, and is, lunatic.
This argument doesn't fly. The reason why the currency is in (perceived) trouble isn't because member states collect different amounts of taxes, but because some countries vastly outspent their taxation's income and accumulated a pile of debt. In theory they could have been disciplined a long time ago per existing EU criteria, but this has largely been an empty threat precisely because of the sovereignty-fetishists.

The EU doesn't need a permanent transfer union. Just because some American states can't be bothered to become financially self-sufficient doesn't mean we should accept the same from certain countries. At this moment helping out the PIGS countries may be necessary but it must never take permanent form. Their current problems will have to be solved one way or another, and in the future countries will have to be disciplined at the first sign of slacking off on their budgets.