Support for EU crashes across the Continent.

The Business Online ^ | 6 November 2005 | Fraser Nelson

[Michael81Dus]

I´m all for fair financing. But this EU budget isn´t fair. The economic powerhouses get money while the "sick man" pays the bills.

Today, at least two good decisions were made by the future Grand Coalition: the coal subsidies will end in 2008 (and not in 2012 or later) and the people will get pensions with the age of 67 in 2035.

[hedgetrimmer]

The little episode happening in France is the death knell of the European Union.

It will be reincarnated in the western hemisphere, with our own president presiding. Its called the FTAA, and it is modeled in its entirety on the EU. In fact the Summit of the Americas meeting last week was to help get the FTAA back on track for implementation.

[GOP_1900AD]

Good. The EU is a farce. Let it die. Borders, language, culture.

[caveat emptor]

Huh? Spain, Italy and many other countries GET subsidiaries from Brussels, on the expense of Germany (by far biggest netto-payer), Britain, Netherlands and a few others. Guess how the south-European countries improved their infrastructure??

Can you provide any links to sources giving net payments for EU countries. I've read similar things before, but have no references. I've also heard the EU characterized as a French scam to get war reparations from Germany.

[RightWhale]

Never has so much been written about so little. Even EU treaties and the constitution are massive. It has been an interesting exercise, but it appears Aristotle would have been mystified by such a futile attempt. Aristotle is probably out of fashion anymore, but he did say that when a constitution does not reflect the nature of the state, the constitution will fail. And be ignored. It is complex legal arrangements like the EU constitution that drive real people to go extralegal. Count on it.

[justshutupandtakeit]

You are quite the optimist. Outside of us who is going to get any information about that trial? CBS/ABC/NBC/NYT/WP will not pause one beat in their continuing campaign to destroy the Administration.

80% of the population will not even be aware there is a trial going on.

[americanbychoice2]

we have had 67 for quite a few years now, I just made it under the wire at 62. :)

[Michael81Dus]

Note that the statistic is per capita, so you can imagine that Germany is the biggest net contributor to the EU.