Reply With Quote
So in your opinion, MA, Europe is burning and on the brink of collapsing anyway, at least as far as a "unification project" is concerned. A free trade area could be salvaged out of the ashes though, I imagine. This would take the EU back to its Common Market roots in the 60's, which would be a neat solution which would appeal to me as a voter.Originally Posted by MadAmster
I get that the eventual impact of the differences at national level smashing the structure from within is possibly inevitable. You cannot hope to unify any economies with divergent attitudes towards tax (hence the Euro would not be acceptable in UK). Still less can you achieve it when the union stretches further east into economies and governments that that are further from western european than they are from third world. Hence attitudes against African immigration will never be adopted across the existing EUno matter what Brussels may pontificate.
RA asks for a solution. At heart I still believe there isnt one, but if one could reinvent time, then a strong western european free trade zone between some 12-15 countries is what could work. Economies of more or less equal levels of activity and currency broadly stable against one another withing the free trade area would solve many of the brexiteer arguments against europe. Similar levels of economic activity in all members, hence similar tax regimes, hence similar wage regimes would stop free movement of labour dead in its tracks - if there is no economic edge to moving for work, people will not uproot themselves and leave their families for financial betterment. Similarly one can allow free movement of capital without necessarily changing much as yields would be the same throughout the unified zone.
So a mechanism could exist that allows for free movement of labour and capital, but in practice very little incentive exists for it to be taken up. So "the poles wont steal our jobs" etc. that half the brexiteers bought off!! Free movement of capital and level playing field economic activity throughout the union would mean the centre does not have to redistribute the contributions, so it would cost less. Abandonment of full scale unification projects could reduce the cost still further and knock another brexiteer objection (mine in particular) on the head.
So the EU has to split in half, full members and associate members / Norway, Switzerland style members. the associates have their own free trade zone, again a society of equals. The Associates can have a trade agreement with the full members but not one tht allows the economies to swamp one another with labour, capital or goods.
Simples
Except they should have done it 25 years ago before the "let any country in" philosophy developed itself.
Ah well
Its a solution, but not a solution to today's problem sadly
.
