The penny's dropped about EU summits
Discussion
Year after year our leading politicians have fist fights at EU summits, over this, that and the other (the UK rebate, farm subsidies, etc.. etc..) Every time they get together nothing is resolved and it all comes down to "political posturing".
Then it struck me, I think we've all been taken for a ride: All true brits like to see the French given a bit of a kicking. The PM looks like he's defending our position, so it looks good domestically. Equally, the French like nothing more that a bit of "UK bashing", so it looks good to his voters. Nothing ever changes in terms of policy, but all the politicians go home quietly smug saying "I've defended the country's interest, aren't I clever?"
Then it struck me, I think we've all been taken for a ride: All true brits like to see the French given a bit of a kicking. The PM looks like he's defending our position, so it looks good domestically. Equally, the French like nothing more that a bit of "UK bashing", so it looks good to his voters. Nothing ever changes in terms of policy, but all the politicians go home quietly smug saying "I've defended the country's interest, aren't I clever?"
srebbe64 said:
Year after year our leading politicians have fist fights at EU summits, over this, that and the other (the UK rebate, farm subsidies, etc.. etc..) Every time they get together nothing is resolved and it all comes down to "political posturing".
Then it struck me, I think we've all been taken for a ride: All true brits like to see the French given a bit of a kicking. The PM looks like he's defending our position, so it looks good domestically. Equally, the French like nothing more that a bit of "UK bashing", so it looks good to his voters. Nothing ever changes in terms of policy, but all the politicians go home quietly smug saying "I've defended the country's interest, aren't I clever?"
Thing is, if we actually all thought that we were winning the arguments, why does everyone hate Europe?
I personally feel like I'm being shagged up the ar**e by the Eurocrats while my government stands back and tries to negotiate a condom.
Spot on. Funny thing was you could see it quite clearly in their body language. For all the public rows, Chirac and Blair apparently quite like each other. When Blair stumped up in Paris a few days ago you could see tha the two of them were quite happy in each other's company. It was blindinly obvious to everyone that they weren't going to be able to compromise. I doubt they even tried. Probably had a drink and a chat, showed each other holiday photos etc, and when they felt they'd pissed away enough time to make it look convincing, out pops Blair to give his "I've been snubbed" one-man-band press conference.
I couldn't get my head around the significance of the numbers involved in the rebate until the following was published:
The net annual contribution to Europe, per person in the UK, is about £31.
In France, it's about £21.
The net annual contribution, per person in the UK WITHOUT THE REBATE, would be £89.
To compound this, and please jump in if the numbers are incorrect, out of the total European contribution, 42% goes on the CAP. France gets in excess of 10 billion Euros (more than any other country), whilst we get less than 5 billion.
The population of France is roughly 60 million - same as the UK.
The net annual contribution to Europe, per person in the UK, is about £31.
In France, it's about £21.
The net annual contribution, per person in the UK WITHOUT THE REBATE, would be £89.
To compound this, and please jump in if the numbers are incorrect, out of the total European contribution, 42% goes on the CAP. France gets in excess of 10 billion Euros (more than any other country), whilst we get less than 5 billion.
The population of France is roughly 60 million - same as the UK.
Yeah, but more of them are farmers and they put huge pressure on their politicians.
In the UK, farmners have no political muscle. UK governments have consistently failed to represent both the British agricultural and fishing sectors effectively.
Britain's failure to get as much out of the EU as other countries is as much a failing of British politicians as it is to do with the EU itself.
In the UK, farmners have no political muscle. UK governments have consistently failed to represent both the British agricultural and fishing sectors effectively.
Britain's failure to get as much out of the EU as other countries is as much a failing of British politicians as it is to do with the EU itself.
t0ny99 said:
I couldn't get my head around the significance of the numbers involved in the rebate until the following was published:
The net annual contribution to Europe, per person in the UK, is about £31.
In France, it's about £21.
The net annual contribution, per person in the UK WITHOUT THE REBATE, would be £89.
To compound this, and please jump in if the numbers are incorrect, out of the total European contribution, 42% goes on the CAP. France gets in excess of 10 billion Euros (more than any other country), whilst we get less than 5 billion.
The population of France is roughly 60 million - same as the UK.
Nope, that sounds about right to me..... Its just political posturing by Chirac to divert attention away from his own issues....
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