Croatia becomes 28th EU member

[Big Bad Voodoo]

Croatia has become the 28th member of the European Union, with crowds joining celebrations in the capital Zagreb.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23118035

[Jacques Terreur]

I hope they won't regret it....joining the EU at this point seems to me like showing up at a party too late, when everybody is drunk or sick already.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

I hope they won't regret it....joining the EU at this point seems to me like showing up at a party too late, when everybody is drunk or sick already.

[Space Commander Travis]

Climbing aboard the gravy train just as the station announcer announces that all services are cancelled until further notice due to a landslip.

Well, as they won't be joining the elite club of membership of the Euro yet, so I suppose they might have cause to celebrate the opportunity to benefit from the generosity of the EU (no strings attached, of course), for just as long as it lasts, and clearly they don't mind handing over their sovereignity to a centralised authority, so good luck to them.

Edited July 1, 2013 by Colonel Rhuairidh

[Big Bad Voodoo]

celebrate the opportunity to benefit from the generosity of the EU

Its all up to Croats. EU isnt ultimate security. There is no such thing. But EU will gave better chances.

Look Estonia, Poland...

[Jacques Terreur]

.... and clearly they don't mind handing over their sovereignity to a centralised authority, so good luck to them.

that's exactly what it's about, as seen in spain or especially greece. The times of rolling tanks into countries are over, now it's done by promising benefits of joining the club....

[Big Bad Voodoo]

Do you mind that your capital is in Washington and not in LA, New york, Chicago...?

Edited July 1, 2013 by the L

[LostSouls7]

Croatia is a great country! Have you ever seen the movie the Terminal..

wonderful film!!

Bad move I say Joining the EU...

Hopefully all goes well for them either way.

[Jacques Terreur]

Do you mind that your capital is in Washington and not in LA, New york, Chicago...?

[Render]

Now is probably the best time for countries to join the EU, right before the EU comes back stronger than ever.

Stronger banking unit, large investments in employment, EU-US trade deal,...

Good on Croatia! Beautiful country.

[stevewinn]

dig deep in those pockets, another country we'll have to finance. the EU club has really become a club of also rans. the quicker we leave the better. who else have we got to look forward to joining in the coming years, economic powerhouses such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. what a bloody shambles. these countries offer nothing at all. these countries citizens are the equivalent of job seekers coming to the social security office (the big three economies in the EU, Germany UK, and France) needing to be financed. how can people turn a blind eye to the problems that exist to day. with the influx of EU migrants on our infrastructure at present the cost to Hospitals Schools etc........with the influx of migrants from poor EU nations we are inadvertently reducing our own living standards and wages. i can give examples, here in Liverpool when Liverpool one a new shopping area was being built, the employed foreign EU migrant workers because of their low demands and wages. a mate of mine was working on the site as a glazer putting the new windows in, he was getting paid £14 an hour, half way through the project his boss said the company was in financial trouble and he, and his fellow workers will be made jobless on the friday, friday come and went, and they were all made jobless, a week later through knowing others in the site - they found out they'd all been replaced with Polish workers getting the minimum wage which was £5.90. a week later the boss phoned the British lads up asking them to come back because the polish lads had made a mess of the job, they all told the boss were to go,

another example a big clothes chain here in Liverpool has a warehouse, all the workers were in the main British. through years of service,15years+ - seventeen of the workers had 25years plus service to the company. so through trade union talks and EARNING better working pay and conditions over the decades they were on between £8.00 and £11.00 an hour, - my cousin who was the supervisor retells me what happened. all of the warehouse staff were made redundant, except for the supervisors, the company then went into administration, but through a loophole once the people were gone, days later they re-established the company, they recruited EU migrants entirely in the warehouse, completely replacing the British workers, all the new workers were on the minimum wage, my cousin who remained as the supervisor eventually left a few weeks later, because the place and people he'd known for years decades had gone, and the dirt had been done to his work colleagues.

I've heard of this happening all over the place mainly on building sites. so if you believe in unlimited open border policy be prepared to have your living standards lowered and when the infrastructure starts to strain by the numbers dont be moaning about the level of service or standards, or the rise in taxes to fund the decline. you want it you live with it.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

dig deep in those pockets, another country we'll have to finance.

And another country to get cream from.

the EU club has really become a club of also rans. the quicker we leave the better. who else have we got to look forward to joining in the coming years, economic powerhouses such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. what a bloody shambles. these countries offer nothing at all. these countries citizens are the equivalent of job seekers coming to the social security office (the big three economies in the EU, Germany UK, and France) needing to be financed.

Only shame here is your knowledge on economy. If you didnt know Iceland vote NO for EU.

On another hand Turkey have to offer more then UK will be ever to able to offer.

...There is saying in my country. "You cant have sex and to not get it inside."

You would take profit and not offer nothing...Yeah right. Nice try.

Edited July 1, 2013 by the L

[Big Bad Voodoo]

stevewin what your country have to offer?

Here is what my country have to offer.

Typicall racisistic and imperialistic trash talking.

Edited July 1, 2013 by the L

[keithisco]

Croatia is certainly a very beautiful country. With this access for Europeans to the Nation then I feel confident that tourism will really "explode" (metaphorically speaking) and so remove a lot of the desire to emigrate to richer nations. Lets also not forget that housing is very cheap and a lot of people will be able to afford a house on the Med coast in which to retire, and cost of living is much lower than in the UK or Spain.

@Stevewinn. Your points are well made Steve, and probably underlies a lot of UK Citizens concerns, but do not forget, Accession to the EU requires a Unanimous vote to succeed so in a very real sense, you (via your Member of Parliament proxy) have agreed to this.

I think the "Polish Experience" has soured a lot of People's experience with the EU, the UK people were told of a max 75,000 Polish would arrive over 5 years, and yet, it turned out to be 850,000 (still counting). Some family members have come to stay with us in Spain, and they tell us that some signposts (in Southampton) are even Bi - lingual English - Polish!! Also, some Housing Associations in Southampton also refuse to let a percentage of their Housing stock (20%) to Indigenous English (IE those born in England). I am also told, but cannot verify this, that the Housing Officers who create Policy are also recent Polish Emigres!!!

[Space Commander Travis]

stevewin what your country have to offer?

Here is what my country have to offer.

Typicall racisistic and imperialistic trash talking.

indeed. Sometimes there's more to make makes something valuable than merely the Economic contribution it can make to some great Central Bank.

Edited July 1, 2013 by Colonel Rhuairidh

[Clarakore]

Will be nice to see Serbia, Bosnia, and Albania eventually join the EU.

It is not just about economics but security, modernization and unity.

Those claiming Croatia is joining when there is nothing to gain only shows their primary motive for being in it is personal profit. Unfortunately that is what the common person wants, what can I get out of it they ask, but luckily the leaders are seeing beyond such simple economics and adopting the long view. No more WW2s, no more Yugoslav Wars, no more! Let the dream of Charlemagne continue. Even if some are blind a united Europe is a beacon of hope.

[Space Commander Travis]

Let the dream of Charlemagne continue. Even if some are blind a united Europe is a beacon of hope.

Yes, a time of peace all right...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne

Aquitanian rebellion

• 2.3.1 Formation of a new Aquitania
  
• 2.3.2 Acquisition of Aquitania by the Carolingians
  
• 2.3.3 Loss and recovery of Aquitania
  

• 2.4 Union perforce
  
• 3 Italian campaigns
  
  • 3.1 Conquest of the Lombard kingdom
    
  • 3.2 Southern Italy
    

  [*]5 Carolingian expansion to the south

  • 5.1 Vasconia and the Pyrenees
    
  • 5.2 Roncesvalles campaign
    
  • 5.3 Wars with the Moors
    

  [*]6 Eastern campaigns

  • 6.1 Saxon Wars
    
  • 6.2 Submission of Bavaria
    
  • 6.3 Avar campaigns
    
  • 6.4 Northeast Slav expeditions
    
  • 6.5 Southeast Slav expeditions
    

[Clarakore]

Please, Charlemagne did more for European unity than anyone else. Things were far worse before him. There were many wars after him but a dividing line can be made. He is the father of Europe for a reason.

In either case, Congratulations Croatia!!! Welcome to the EU.

[Clarakore]

Called the "Father of Europe" (pater Europae),Charlemagne's empire united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire. His rule spurred the Carolingian Renaissance, a revival of art, religion, and culture through the medium of the Catholic Church. Through his foreign conquests and internal reforms, Charlemagne encouraged the formation of a common European identity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne

[Helen of Annoy]

Population of Croatia is 4,284,889 according to the latest census.

Even if we’d all collectively pack our bags and hit the borders, no one would notice us.

But there won’t be any emigration surge, because most people who wanted to emigrate already did it.

The economy is crap, that’s true, but with the resources we have it could be viable. What we need is EU to poke its nose into our business, literally, so that we can get rid of corruption.

(Corruption is part of big politics and business too, but what annoys me to no end are these local leeches who destroyed country so they can put their unwashed asses in new BMWs. It didn’t occur to them they could buy new BMW each year if they kept the business going, they preferred to suck the money out of industry they stole in criminal “pretvorba” (process of denationalization) so they can look important for a while. *strain of domestic very un-PC curses*)

So you shouldn’t worry about us. We are small, picturesque and our resources are worth much more than you’ll pay for them.

There.

Now the personal part.

I’m old enough to remember very different times. Quasi-socialism, unjust hegemony and the war.

That’s why joining NATO was more important in my opinion than joining EU, but both have immense emotional value for me.

I can die happy now.

It would be great if EU membership revives our economy, but it doesn’t matter really. I don’t see milking cow in EU. I see union in which my land naturally belongs and shouldn’t have been forcibly separated from for 97 years.

So...

I thank everyone who welcomed us.

Edit: except the hypocrites, of course. they can roll their welcome in SANU Memorandum and stick it there where sun doesn't shine.

Edited July 1, 2013 by Helen of Annoy

[Space Commander Travis]

I do hope people do not equate not being overwhelmingly joyful about the European Central bank and the extortion that the EU imposes on the smaller countries to protect the economies of the big countries with being xenophobic and hating the peoples of eastern Europe? If you really do think that entering into the Empire will bring a new dawn of prosperity, well, good luck to you, but looking at the example of Greece or Portugal, i really wouldn't feel confident how philanthropic and altruistic the Empire is, even if Croatia isn't likely to qualify for the Euro anytime soon, for which people should be grateful. It seems rather hard to believe that it's really interested in defending the interests of smaller countries, and even if it has managed to prevent its member countries from going to War with each other, perhaps NATO has had rather more to do with that than the European Empire.

[Render]

I do hope people do not equate not being overwhelmingly joyful about the European Central bank and the extortion that the EU imposes on the smaller countries to protect the economies of the big countries with being xenophobic and hating the peoples of eastern Europe? If you really do think that entering into the Empire will bring a new dawn of prosperity, well, good luck to you, but looking at the example of Greece or Portugal, i really wouldn't feel confident how philanthropic and altruistic the Empire is, even if Croatia isn't likely to qualify for the Euro anytime soon, for which people should be grateful. It seems rather hard to believe that it's really interested in defending the interests of smaller countries, and even if it has managed to prevent its member countries from going to War with each other, perhaps NATO has had rather more to do with that than the European Empire.

Why do ppl keep brining up Portugal or Greece in these matters? You act like the EU is the reason why they are in crisis. While the exact opposite is true. They were headed for extreme crisis and the EU offered them a plan to save them. It might be harsh, but if you let things get that far they shouldn't expect a free hand-out. Especially Greece has shown to abuse support, so now the ropes have been tightened. If they want help, they better do their part. Without the EU they would be far worse off.

The euro is already accepted in most places in Croatia.

[keithisco]

Why do ppl keep brining up Portugal or Greece in these matters? You act like the EU is the reason why they are in crisis. While the exact opposite is true. They were headed for extreme crisis and the EU offered them a plan to save them. It might be harsh, but if you let things get that far they shouldn't expect a free hand-out. Especially Greece has shown to abuse support, so now the ropes have been tightened. If they want help, they better do their part. Without the EU they would be far worse off.

The euro is already accepted in most places in Croatia.

Well said!!

[stevewinn]

stevewin what your country have to offer?

Here is what my country have to offer.

Typicall racisistic and imperialistic trash talking.

I cannot believe your asking the question what does the United Kingdom offer Croatia. the bloody cheek of it, the UK offers your citizens ten times more and then some what your own country cannot offer its own citizens, like all the other mickey mouse countries, who are basically nothing but a collection of failed states, huddling together under the EU umbrella, wanting the economic security and military security offered by the likes of the United Kingdom.

your postcards are nice, but get with the program, as a country and now a EU member what is your country bringing to the EU table? besides the begging bowl, another one at the trough. with your 16% unemployment, high levels of corruption, - no doubt we'll be flooded with Croatians now. bloody marvellous.

i just cannot believe what the hell is going on with the EU, it had the potential to be everything and the way its gone it'll end up as nothing. out of the three big economies and the handful of wealthy northern members we had the chance to take on the world. in every sense of the word, but forget that with each passing and now with every despot clinger on hanging on to our shirt tails were carrying dead weight.

Vote UKIP and lets be done with this load of **** once and for all,

[Helen of Annoy]

I cannot believe your asking the question what does the United Kingdom offer Croatia. the bloody cheek of it, the UK offers your citizens ten times more and then some what your own country cannot offer its own citizens, like all the other mickey mouse countries, who are basically nothing but a collection of failed states, huddling together under the EU umbrella, wanting the economic security and military security offered by the likes of the United Kingdom.

your postcards are nice, but get with the program, as a country and now a EU member what is your country bringing to the EU table? besides the begging bowl, another one at the trough. with your 16% unemployment, high levels of corruption, - no doubt we'll be flooded with Croatians now. bloody marvellous.

i just cannot believe what the hell is going on with the EU, it had the potential to be everything and the way its gone it'll end up as nothing. out of the three big economies and the handful of wealthy northern members we had the chance to take on the world. in every sense of the word, but forget that with each passing and now with every despot clinger on hanging on to our shirt tails were carrying dead weight.

Vote UKIP and lets be done with this load of **** once and for all,

Oh, surprisingly passionate. I could totally imagine you flailing your hands while announcing Croatian locusts. All 4 million of them.

But I must say I liked Eamon Gilmore’s speech better.

“Céad míle fáilte" he said without any fear Probably because he has no decayed empire to lose.

Then I must mention Dalia Grybauskaite from Lithuania who gave her complete speech in Croatian

There’s so much more to life than money, and if we are talking about money, let’s not forget it’s mostly German money, so if anyone has right to complain about beggars at the door, it’s Germany.

Country of choice for Croatian emigrants. God knows why.

Anyway, I despise you too, steve. But I'll help you with learning Polish if it's too complicated language for you.