Expan the EU - what a ghastly thought

[vehelpfulguy]

Accordingto BBC web site David Milliband has said the following:

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has suggested the European Union should work towards including Russia, Middle Eastern and North African countries.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7095657 .stm

Are these people mad !

The are already considering a country lke Albania in the EU, a country full of crime, corruption and very poor people.

All that will do is allow hundreds of thousands of uneducated Albanians to pour in to the rest of the European countries.

Allowing North African countries to do the same is asking for trouble.

All these politicians seem to be trying to do is to destroy almost everything we in the "west" have spent centuries building up.

[Gromit]

Expansion of Europe will occur, but it will not include Russia.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/666811 1.stm

Russia has absolutely nothing to gain. Some Mediterranean countries will eventually be members as well as the remaining former soviet states.

[chitchat]

Perhaps its time to vote these people out of office!

When is the government of this country going to wake up to the fact that the UK is only a small island and there are only so many immigrants that will fit into it.

What ever happened to common sense?

[jake-the-peg]

Generally I find "Common sense" is something advocated by people looking for simple answers to complex questions!

Milliband is looking for potential real-world answers that'll work.

Countries that want to join the EU have to meet a lot of stringent criteria on things such as democracy, human rights and financial stability.

Clearly the idea is to hold this out as some sort of carrot to get change in these countries. Unstable middle -Eastern countries and Russia are a threat to all of us.

I don't think it'll work because I don't think those countries would be in the slightest bit interested but it's a better idea than pulling up the drawbridge and hiding heads under union jack duvets and hoping the world will change on it's own

[kwicky]

From a financial point of view it would help the European community for Russia to be part. Much of our wealth is tied up paying for energy which Russia supplies a huge portion. It would also help to guarantee our supplies in future when stocks will be hard to come by especially from the Middle East. Trade will also help as the Russians have taken an interest in Airbus and could add weight.

The Russians are against a unipolar world dominated by the US and would welcome partners in Europe to counteract this. The EU therefore has a greater interest in forming stronger ties with Russia if you also agree with this. There would need some reforms of the EU if Russia is to accept it though.

[amsterdammer]

The lack of response to this question reflects the apathy of the general public to important matters such as this. I was in the beginning an advocate of the European Union, but I fear its rapidly increasing membership has been its downfall.What started out as a mutually beneficial trading partnership has deteriorated into a rush by countries to only improve their financial position. We purport to be one the richer nations, pouring money into this Union, who have not, incidentally produced audited accounts for 13 yrs, whilst we have the lowest pensions in Europe, and only provide life saving drugs on a Post Code basis, time to make a gradual retreat I think, let alone remain in an increasing cash drain!