MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Process for independent Scotland joining the EU could be “relatively speedy” and “no need to queue”
The process of an independent Scotland rejoining the European Union could be “relatively speedy”, a senior German MEP has said. Elmar Brok said there would be few technical obstacles to overcome if the political will was there to allow it to happen. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesButt out, nothing to do with you. Scotland unfortunately could not survive economically without the rest of the Union, Oil has dropped 50% since the last referendum and the Scottish currency is linked to the £ Sterling which is underwritten by the Bank of England.They could of course adopt the Euro.The SNP want their cake and eat it.
Apr 06th, 2017 - 10:50 am - Link - Report abuse 0Please note the Germans are firmly in charge. They love counting all those Euros that enable them to remain so competitive at the expense of the sad Club Med countries suffering 50% youth unemployment, crippling debt ridden austerity and no future.. You vill all obey! The smallest 14 countries in the Eurozone don't add up to the population of the UK! And the President of the unelected Commission has wide diplomatic experience coming from the second smallest German tax haven as Mayor of Luxembourg City. Trumpton is in charge. Having voted to leave it pleases me every day to read the anti British utterances from various EU gangstas. It demonstrates perfectly why we should be getting out as quickly as possible. Only shame is it didn't happen immediately before Maastricht when the EEC turned itself from the Common Market into the EU superstate. In retrospect Maggie was correct!
Apr 06th, 2017 - 11:03 am - Link - Report abuse +1Scotland certainly could survive economically outside the UK, they'd just be poorer. And I'm not surprised the EU has changed their attitude now that we've decided to ditch them. The Voice, you seem to believe the countries in the EU should be friends. They are not, they are allies, and now the UK is leaving the club it is inevitable that we will be treated as outsiders instead. Also the major reason for the 'unelected commission' is exactly the difference in size and population between the various member states. If the EU was run by the parliament then the countries with the largest populations would always be able to get their way and the interests of the smaller ones could easily be ignored.
Apr 06th, 2017 - 12:12 pm - Link - Report abuse +1As for having their cake and eating it, isn't that what the Brexiters promised? It certainly worked well for them, why shouldn't the SNP promise the same thing?
Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland should all be allowed to leave the UK if they wish to do so, it's their right. In every case England will end up with more to spend on England's public services and benefits, but
Apr 06th, 2017 - 12:43 pm - Link - Report abuse +2worse off in respect of ease of movement and diversity.
TWIMC...
Apr 06th, 2017 - 01:29 pm - Link - Report abuse -2Berks. Bucks., Essex, Herts., Kent, London, Surrey & Sussex certainly could survive economically outside the UK..., they'd just be much richer....
Freeeedom for Le Midi Anglais...;-)
@DT
Apr 06th, 2017 - 01:36 pm - Link - Report abuse +1“If the EU was run by the parliament then the countries with the largest populations would always be able to get their way and the interests of the smaller ones could easily be ignored.”
This concept was brought up previously on this board regarding the recent U.S. presidential election and its electoral college voting versus the popular vote. I pointed something out almost exactly as you do above in this article.
http://en.mercopress.com/2016/11/18/trump-s-presidency-short-lived-two-experts-who-anticipated-his-victory-make-the-prediction
But there, your response was:
“Why is it okay for the people living in smaller states to force their preferences on those in larger states, then? Right-wingers also believe their way should be forced on everyone, and it's just as scary.”
I see how it works now. If it's a pro-socialist lesser population, then their views need to be respected. If it's a pro-conservative lesser population, then, “they shouldn't be able to force their views on the majority”.
I'm totally comparing apples and oranges, right?
Here's the best quote from this article,
“If there is a possibility that the United Kingdom breaks - which we do not hope - ”
Which we do not hope, my ass!! Scotland would be pursuing membership in the EU even before they broke from the UK, and at the end, all of the EU would then be paying attention to that deciding referendum. At that point, if the vote went to a break from the UK, all of the EU would be celebrating in the streets. They hope plenty that Scotland breaks from the UK!
And they'll pay off Spain to make it happen.
What I don't get is this quote from Sturgeon,
“Scotland’s future must be Scotland’s choice.”
Would they ultimately have more choices in the EU?
Would Scotland have more autonomy as a member of the EU than as a member of the UK?
@Bushpilot
Apr 06th, 2017 - 08:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I didn't say I approved of the EU Commission. Actually I think one of the biggest things stopping the EU becoming more democratic is the desire of each national government to hang on to as much power as possible. We want the EU to be democratic, but at the same time we want the UK to have a veto on things we don't like - those are not really compatible.
But in some ways it is unavoidable because the EU is not a country like the US, but a group of countries who each put their own interests ahead of the EU's. The US did begin life as separate states and the senate is supposed to provide representation for the them, with each state having two senators regardless of population. It is interesting that the senators used to be chosen by the government of each state but are now directly elected, it suggests the Federal government has become more important over time and the states less so. But the US can't really be used as a model for the EU unless you are hoping for a United States of Europe.
As for the electoral college, I think it has outlived its usefulness. The main effect these days is to make the more homogeneous states irrelevant and concentrate campaigning on only a few areas, and I don't see how anyone could think that desirable. I believed they should get rid of it before the election when people were suggesting it might benefit Clinton, and I still think so now.
And about your 'pro-socialist lesser population', I wasn't aware that the governments of Malta, Luxembourg, Cypress, Estonia, Latvia, etc were significantly more inclined to socialism than Germany, France, Italy and Spain. I do think the views of minorities should be respected, but I was replying to your comment that “Leftists believe their way should be forced on all peoples of the world.” I don't see how it's better for a minority to force their views on everyone than for a majority to do it.
Also, yes, Scotland would have more autonomy as a member of the EU than as part of the UK.
Scottish Independence is about no longer being controlled by a Westminster Government. In the EU but away from Westminster is far better for Scotland. Plus of course people in (the then Independent) Scotland would also be free to have their own referendum on leaving the EU as would be their right. (without having to seek permission from another government as we have to do currently)
Apr 06th, 2017 - 10:29 pm - Link - Report abuse -1DemonTree
Apr 07th, 2017 - 12:21 am - Link - Report abuse +1Why do you think Scotland would be poorer...? Ireland seem to manage ok...
EscoSesDoidao
What other Government...?...The UK Govt is for all the Union...
Your problem is you just don't understand that, Scotland is not a member of the EU the UK is...
Voice. You are saying the Scottish Government does not exist. (??)
Apr 07th, 2017 - 01:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0I dont have a problem. Scotland is one of the three countries that make up the UK, obviously when we return to being an independent state, we will 'enter the EU', but we already comply with every single requirment to do that as we, like England, and Wales, already comply fully with EU requirements.
Concidering the article we are commenting on, and the fact that every single area in Scotland voted to stay in the EU, most by a much higher margine than the overall UK vote.
The writing is on the wall...... (No, not either of the one the Romans had to build)
@Voice
Apr 07th, 2017 - 07:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0Ireland is doing okay now but it was poor for many decades after independence. Scotland also has all the more expensive to maintain islands and isolated communities, and supposedly gets more from the central government than it takes in taxes. AFAIK the entire rest of the country is currently subsidised by London, taxwise. Also the difficulties of divorce would probably make both countries poorer for a while. So an independent Scotland might be better off in 20 or 30 or 50 years, but I think they'd definitely be poorer in the short and medium term.
There is a big variable around Brexit and what happens to the EU in the future though.
Also I am surprised the Brexiters don't understand the SNP better, the two seem very similar to me, and it's odd to hear Brexiters say that Scotland won't vote out in spite of the bad economics when they themselves just did exactly that.
Last time I checked, the UK was made up of four countries and not three.
Apr 10th, 2017 - 09:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0All it would take is some grumbling about independence and a Scottish route back into the EU for any secessionist movement in Europe for several governments to suddenly 'frustrate' Scotland's dream.
The EU is very, very cognisant of any precedents Brexit will create that will backfire on them in the future.
IF Scotland leave's the UK and the EU then we should join with Canada. Geographically we were part of the same continent and we have close ties between our peoples.
Apr 11th, 2017 - 07:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If nothing else it would make maple syrup cheaper. Also probably more people speak Gaelic there than here and their pipe bands are as good if not better than ours.
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