Way to go France!

[InsaneApache]

I think it's worth repeating here some of the reasons that I believe the EU could be in real danger.

The whole premise of the 'EU' was to create a trading bloc, without tariffs and barriers. It was believed that this was a way to prevent the disasterous wars that had ravaged Europe over the previous 30 years or so. (This was in the '50s)

I still firmly believe that this is a good idea and worthy of respect. However in the last 25 years or so there have been, what has been described as the 'salami' effect. This mean that very, very small slices of national sovereignty are surrendered up to the supra-national organisation, known as the EU commision and Parliament.

Although there may well be people who are happy with this, there are many more who are not. The political elite have pushed this agenda for decades without bothering to ask the people in their countries if this is what they want. When they have and havnt got the result they wanted, they have either ignored the wishes of the voters or hold more plebiscites until they DO get the answer they want.

I find this utterly revolting. It has become a house of cards built by idealogues who havnt got a democratic bone in their bodies....Mandleson spring to mind....did anyone see this idiot on tv yesterday? Already he was paving the way to ignore this vote (and no doubt the Dutch one as well) by saying that the French dont hold a veto on Europe (tell the French that Mandy). This guy was never voted into office but appointed and then debases the democratic process...incredible arrogance and duplicity.

Ignore the electorate at your peril....truth will out.

[doc_bean]

Although there may well be people who are happy with this, there are many more who are not. The political elite have pushed this agenda for decades without bothering to ask the people in their countries if this is what they want. When they have and havnt got the result they wanted, they have either ignored the wishes of the voters or hold more plebiscites until they DO get the answer they want.

I'm pro-EU, and i agree with you completely on this. The EU has been forced on the people by ambitious politicians that never asked what was best for the people.

And yes, prices have gone way up since the Euro, especially things like food. But the people are mostly to blame for that, you can often find the exact same item (same brand even) much cheaper in one store than in another, we're just to lazy to look, so the price-setting theory of the free market doesn't work anymore.

I think the Euro is/was good, especially for smaller currencies, but I don't really see why a strong currency like the pound has to join, especially since your economy is very different from the rest of Europe and you're not likely to benefit from it.

[InsaneApache]

*a King Edward V on its way to doc_bean*

[Fragony]

I'm pro-EU, and i agree with you completely on this. The EU has been forced on the people by ambitious politicians that never asked what was best for the people.

And yes, prices have gone way up since the Euro, especially things like food. But the people are mostly to blame for that, you can often find the exact same item (same brand even) much cheaper in one store than in another, we're just to lazy to look, so the price-setting theory of the free market doesn't work anymore.

I think the Euro is/was good, especially for smaller currencies, but I don't really see why a strong currency like the pound has to join, especially since your economy is very different from the rest of Europe and you're not likely to benefit from it.

Well, the rise in prices in Holland is most definately because of the euro, because we pay to much for it. An euro should be worth 2 guilders, and we got sold for 2.20. Since we get most products from european countries we pay wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to much for just about everything, this sort of inflation is just unheard of. Thank you europe.