Can you spot the European oddity? poll discussion

lynneinjapan

Smart_FX wrote: »

A lot of people said and thinks the same. Slovak Republic is actually official name for Slovakia.

There is another country whic people confuse with Slovakia - Slovenia.

I have a penpal in the Czech Republic and she refers to her country as Czechia.

[Deleted User]

Which of these countries ISN’T a member of the EU?

A. Estonia
B. France
C. Greece
D. Italy
E. Latvia
F. Lithuania
G. Norway
H. Poland
I. Romania
J. Slovak Republic
K. Spain




Gee, this is really a difficult question to answer.
I would have voted for the UK, had that option been there.

MikeH99

esuhl wrote: »

You could same the same about national government. It means that life here in Surrey is dictated by people in Whitehall over whom I have next to no democratic control. When Labour got in a decade or so ago, they were voted in by a minority!!!

Relatively speaking we have a lot more democratic control over Westminster MPs than those taking the decisions in the EU institutions. By no means all, but many MPs in marginal constituencies can get kicked out by a public vote ... unlike almost all people taking decisions in the EU.

I'm sure few of us are satisfied with our level of control over Westminster - it could undoubtedly be a lot better. But I'm not sure using that to excuse ever more decisions being made even further away, in Brussels, is likely to resolve that insufficient democracy problem anytime soon. In fact it's making it a whole lot worse.

Let's make our system better - not resign any role in decision-making altogether!

MikeH99

omelette451 wrote: »

Both the 'country in question' and Switzerland have to pay rather hefty fees to the EU in order to be allowed to have said trade benefits. And Norwegians are strangely proud of the fact that despite not being obliged to they are actually often the country most willing to adopt EU policies and laws.

Do they? It won't be as hefty as what we have to pay; £10.2bn (gross) or £6bn net a year on average. That's effectively a cheque for £115 million being posted to the EU every single week ... ouch.

A report once calculated that we might actually be better off paying the trade tariffs! I'd be surprised. But plenty of countries (eg. even Mexico) have free trade deals with the EU, and given EU members sell us more than we sell them, we could certainly get such a deal. Or they'd only be shooting themselves in the foot.

Nick99

Strange that Oilit is so keen about Norway but can't spell its language.

mcgazz

I'ver never understood why, while so many people bang on about the lack of accountability in the EU compared to Westminster, turnout in European Parliament elections is incredibly low.

Want a more democratic, transparent EU? Vote Green - they're committed to all these things. Don't vote for hypocritical Eurosceptics who want us out of Europe so they can turn the UK into a low-pay sweatshop economy.