Greece, a small country on the tip of the Balkan Peninsula, was the poorest member by far when it joined the EU's predecessor in 1981. But Greece was able to fight for attention and development aid, benefiting members to come. Today the EU has 27 members, many poorer than Greece. The union needs to continue to listen to them.
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All Comments (5)
I am always very skeptical about extreme concentrations of power. I see independent nations
losing their sovereignty and ability to control their destiny.
Like some mega-corporation the EU has swept in and
on false promises of grandeur, tricked the people of Europe into allowing some far and distant few to control everything.
Many countries do not wish to join the Euro. Switzerland is a good example of this. Yet, they have been asked to vote time and time again. So far they have said NO. What happens when they say yes?
Will they be allowed to vote again? Why do I doubt it?
This simply cannot be good.
September 25, 2007 2:46 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on September 25, 2007 02:46
Well, Adolf Hitler also dreamed of the Germanisches Reich, a.k.a. European Union, but... The European Union is a socialist dictatorship and the most Europeans are against this corrupt and brutal regime. However, the European Union has no future.
April 2, 2007 3:40 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on April 2, 2007 15:40
I lived in Greece for 2 years from 1978-1980 and I returned for a 3 week visit in the spring of 2001. Yes, the EU has fundamentally transformed Greece for the better; but they did have a lot to work with compared to what they face now with Romania and Bulgaria. It's a shame that we can't apply some of the principles of EU development to impoverished regions of this country like Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta. Thanks to the EU, even small remote Greek villages have electricity, improved water and sewage treatment, and public bus service connecting them to main towns and cities. In Greece, you can go everywhere using cheap, reliable, clean buses that run frequently and have stops at everywhere along the way- something else we could learn from the European countries. It's nice to see that Greece has dropped its animosity toward Turkey, which was quite intense when I lived there. Greece is definitely on the way up. Now, if only I could persuade my wife that we can retire there...
March 31, 2007 9:26 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on March 31, 2007 21:26
Richard Katz, may I refer you to the "Charte Europeenne des droits fondamentaux, Nice (France) le 7 décembre 2000 (texte integral)? -- see: http://www.droitsenfant.com/fondamentaux.htm
March 31, 2007 2:56 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on March 31, 2007 14:56
Thank you for your very excellent article explaining the ideals which underlie the EU's success. It would be interesting if the great thinkers of the EU would further analyze these ideals and create an EU Bill of Rights to memorize for future generations the thinking and wisdom which created the EU in the first place. It is not surprising that you Nikos Konstandaras can so clearly speak on this subject in light of Greece's history and contribution to modern western civilization.
March 31, 2007 7:11 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on March 31, 2007 07:11