The former leader of Germany’s SPD (Labour party) and possible candidate for Chancellor of Germany has called for a federal Europe and the exit from the EU of any country refusing to ratify the Union treaty needed.
Perhaps those Remain advocates who said there was no such plan may like to comment, given similar ideas from the President of France.
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I am a Remainer and I think a United States of Europe is a brilliant idea. More people should speak out in favour of it. The nation-state is old hat and has caused any number of problems.
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What apnhb said
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Of course it was 'the project' all along. It might be a bit difficult to achieve because of the huge cultural / historical / language differences between member states (unlike America) and the fact that some southern member countries are not in the best financial condition
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yawn
brexiteers have been saying this for 30 years and it hasn't happened yet, circle back when there is even a draft bill from more than one minor local politician
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Old man shouts at clouds
right wing tedes point at clouds as evidence of an EU conspiracy.
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I voted remain, on the assumption that politicians here would show some kind of interest in influencing the whole thing, which we could easily do.
Them and us is what they went for. Stupid.
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Of course it's his aim. Any who's met Schulz, as I have, knows he's a fanatic.
The civic nation state is not old hat, it's the basis of all modern liberal democracy. It replaced the empires of old, and it's depressing to see us returning to that model.
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Agree with Dux that this does not lessen the importance of a states, as it is just a proposal to create an even bigger one.
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Dux you are approaching tecco in terms of the number of relevant public figures whom you have met personally. You are clearly someone who rubs shoulders with, ironically, the metropolitan elite.
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"The nation-state is old hat and has caused any number of problems."
Whereas the trans-national state, has literally never caused any problems at all. Like the Ottoman, Soviet Union, Roman, Austro-Hungarian, Mughal, British and Persian Empires.
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Or wot 3-ducks said.
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Zero, I'm like Burlington Bertie from Bow.
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No, you must be thinking of someone else.
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Nothing wrong with a federal Europe - I would say we have significantly less cultural differences then the states of America who disagreed on things as profound as human slavery. As for languages, multi-lingual countries seem to get along fine - eg Switzerland, Canada.
Seems mad to have 27 smallish countries all with similar values and culture and economies all pursuing separate agendas - in a global era. Talent pool for the top offices would far greater too - look at the charlies we come up left to our own devices.
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God that would be amazing. We could turn Westminster into social housing.
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"Nothing wrong with a federal Europe "
"I am a Remainer and I think a United States of Europe is a brilliant idea"
"Of course it was 'the project' all along. "
Next breath....
"THER'S IS NO PLAN FOR A federal Europe, Stop saying that there is"
heh and you wonder why Remainders are viewed as dishonest auntbags.
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TBH whilst I m not in favour of it right now I don’t understand how anyone who believes in the United Kingdom cannot recognise the benefits that a US of Europe might bring
but then again
1. Logic left the effing building a while back and
2. it turns out that a load of Brexiteers are treasonous anti unionists anyway
so *shrug* at it all
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"I don’t understand how anyone who believes in the United Kingdom cannot recognise the benefits that a US of Europe might bring"
gosh
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TBH “gosh” could prolly do with fleshing out
Go for it
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asti just asked a brexter for the thought-process behind his opinions
???
brexters don’t think, they just believe
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GC you are a little wrong. At the time of formation of the US slavery was more widely accepted through all the states and was seen as a state rather than federal matter. It was only later they diverged sufficiently and decided to have a war about it. There is a lot of cultural difference across the EU. For example look at say France and Hungary, as well as economic difference that would make it more difficult, but not impossible. I suspect that if they went full federal we would see some splintering as some of the states don't want it and would leave.
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Which is why it can't happen.
It would require a unanimous vote. Countries who wanted to be in the club but not federasted would just veto it.
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The models for union in the UK and the EU are completely different. I am not surprised the statement only elicited a "gosh".
As for calling Brexiteers "treasonous" anti-Unionists, that's just silly. If the Scots vote for independence as a result of a legitimate statutory independence because they don't like withdrawal of the EU, how does that make Brexiteers treasonous?
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If you look at the fairly well-educated northern European countries, most can speak English (which would have to be the default language). Rural parts of southern and eastern Europe, they can't rally speak English.
Much less Swedish, Dutch or even French (sorry France).
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Goose, Brexiteers bandy “treasonous” around for far less. What’s a unreasonable about that accusation when faced with a set of conscious actions that will very likely lead to the loss of Scotland and NI to the Union?
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