Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Europe’s Richer Regions Want Out
The New York Times ^ | October 6, 2012 | STEVEN ERLANGER

Posted on 10/06/2012 1:51:04 PM PDT by presidio9

CATALONIA may be the catalyst for a renewed wave of separatism in the European Union, with Scotland and Flanders not far behind. The great paradox of the European Union, which is built on the concept of shared sovereignty, is that it lowers the stakes for regions to push for independence.

While a post-national European Union may be emerging out of the euro zone crisis, with a drive for more fiscal union and more centralized control over national budgets and banks, the crisis has accelerated calls for independence from member countries’ richer regions, angry at having to finance poorer neighbors.

Artur Mas, the Catalan president, recently shook Spain and the markets with a call for early regional elections and promised a referendum on independence from Spain, although Madrid considers it illegal. Scotland is planning an independence referendum for the autumn of 2014. The Flemish in Flanders have achieved nearly total autonomy, both administrative and linguistic, but still resent what they consider to be the holdover hegemony of the French-speakers of Wallonia and the Brussels elite, emotions that will be on display in provincial and communal elections Oct. 14.

There are countless things that hold unhappy countries, like marriages, together — shared history, shared wars, shared children, shared enemies. But the economic crisis in the European Union is also highlighting old grievances.

Many in Catalonia and Flanders, for example, argue that they pay significantly more into the national treasury than they receive, even as national governments cut public services. In this sense, the regional argument is the euro zone argument writ small, as richer northern countries like Germany, Finland and Austria complain that their comparative wealth and success are being drained to keep countries like Greece, Portugal and Spain afloat.

The crisis has also produced a loss of

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Germany; Government; Russia; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: austria; catalonia; eu; europe; europeanunion; euseparation; finland; flanders; flight; germany; gof; golf; greece; haggis; judgesmails; portugal; russia; scotland; separation; spain; unitedkingdom; wallonia
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-87 next last

1 posted on 10/06/2012 1:51:07 PM PDT by presidio9
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: presidio9

With the possible exception of claiming N. Sea oil, just where is the great wealth of today’s Scotland—where government spending is over 50% of GDP?


2 posted on 10/06/2012 2:07:23 PM PDT by Lysandru
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

Don’t take your Euros away from me
Don’t you leave my banks in misery
If you go then we’ll be screwed
‘Cause breaking up his hard to do

Remember when you bailed us out
And with your balance sheets you gave us clout
All the austerity that we’ve been through
Breaking up is hard to do

They say that breaking up is hard to do
Now I know, I know that it’s true
Flanders and Scotland, please don’t go
Catalonia, don’t you love Spain no mo?

I beg of you, don’t say goodbye
Give the Euro pact another try
Come on baby, let’s start anew
‘Cause breaking up is hard to do


3 posted on 10/06/2012 2:12:18 PM PDT by southernnorthcarolina ("Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own." -- Aesop)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lysandru
With the possible exception of claiming N. Sea oil, just where is the great wealth of today’s Scotland

Financial services, manufacturing, tourism, fishing, luxery items, coal, zinc, iron.

4 posted on 10/06/2012 2:22:28 PM PDT by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

Scotch.


5 posted on 10/06/2012 2:34:12 PM PDT by Paladin2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

“luxery items”


6 posted on 10/06/2012 2:35:37 PM PDT by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: presidio9
Scotch is much like Aquavit(a).

A necessity.

7 posted on 10/06/2012 2:37:12 PM PDT by Paladin2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

You are talking to a Scots-American who hasn’t had a drink in seven years...


8 posted on 10/06/2012 2:41:09 PM PDT by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Lysandru

Scotland would also be left with the Bank of Scotland’s bad debt. On the plus side, they would be free from the EU’s control.


9 posted on 10/06/2012 2:41:28 PM PDT by Viennacon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

I thought that luxuries was referring to stuff like haggis, woolens, Roman coins, ....


10 posted on 10/06/2012 2:55:14 PM PDT by Paladin2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

Heh.

I misread the first word as California and thought it was going to be about our more productive regions wanting out leaving socialist states like NY and CA to fend for themselves instead of leaching off others..


11 posted on 10/06/2012 2:58:46 PM PDT by Voice of Reason1 (Absolute power corrupts absolutely Lord Acton 1887)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

No you can’t go who will pay for all the deadbeats we created. Socialism is great until you run out of other peoples money, the responsible peoples money


12 posted on 10/06/2012 3:03:44 PM PDT by ronnie raygun (bb)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

What” Not going to thrown themselves on the socialist sword for the good of the EU .... how selfish and unpatriotic of them!


13 posted on 10/06/2012 3:03:44 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (The law of unintended consequences is an unforgiving and vindictive b!tch!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

Cultural factors help too, such as: Work ethic, austerity, ability to think logically and respect facts.


14 posted on 10/06/2012 3:12:31 PM PDT by Eleutheria5 (End the occupation. Annex today.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

Haggis is always good for a laugh from the uninitiated, but it can actually be delicious. Scottish smoked salmon is considered the finest in the world. As are their adult beverages, which you seem to enjoy, and I used to. That being said, aside from modern economics, Scotland’s greatest gift to the world was its national sport, which is the greatest game ever invented.


15 posted on 10/06/2012 3:18:01 PM PDT by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Lysandru

The scotch wells and the haggis mines.


16 posted on 10/06/2012 3:35:47 PM PDT by NonValueAdded (HH: "Obama just doesnÂ’t really understand what he was talking about on subject after subject")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: presidio9
Scotland’s greatest gift to the world was its national sport, which is the greatest game ever invented.

Hopscotch?

17 posted on 10/06/2012 3:36:38 PM PDT by Moltke ("I am Dr. Sonderborg," he said, "and I don't want any nonsense.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: presidio9; mickie
The whole Euro system is communism and Obama's redistribution of wealth....no matter how you slice the haggis.

It is doomed to failure eventually because of just the points made in the article....the rich get sick of subsidizing the poor, plain and simple.

You can't fool Mother Nature and human nature....for long.

Leni

18 posted on 10/06/2012 3:43:21 PM PDT by MinuteGal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lysandru

good question


19 posted on 10/06/2012 3:43:47 PM PDT by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Voice of Reason1
I misread the first word as California and thought it was going to be about our more productive regions wanting out leaving socialist states like NY and CA to fend for themselves instead of leaching off others.

In my lifetime, there has not been a year in which California has not supplied much more to the Federal treasury than has been allocated here. So could you please explain what you mean by California "leaching off others"?

20 posted on 10/06/2012 3:47:08 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (GunWalker: Arming "a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as well funded")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-87 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson