duztee

Personally I don't have a political bone in my body, and rarely pay much attention to the machinations of governments.

But even I have noticed the recent increase in rumblings of discontent with EU membership by both Hungary and now the UK.
(or should that be the EU's discontent with Hungary)

Though neither country has declared their intention to withdraw membership completely, and I suspect this is more a case of political posturing. Does anyone more au fait with this topic than I have a view they are willing to put into print?

jetsam1

If you're thinking about the free movement part of it it's not actually the EU, it's the EEA that has that enshrined so even if they leave the EU they will still be part of the EEA as that is where the trade agreements are?

All politicians are looking to their far right and pure short termism without thinking about the longer term implications.

Jack_Russells4ever

The Best thing that could happen in my opinion is the complete break up of the EU or at least The UK and Hungary breaking away from it. I know I am in a very small minority of people who feel this way (at least on this forum) but the goals of the E.U are bad for the culture and heritage of Native Europeans. The only thing I can see as good about the EU is the free movement of goods across borders. Other than that I see no reason for the EU to exist. IMHO the sooner the UK and Hungary leave the EU, the better.

scrubbedexpat0105

The relationship between the countries in the EU to each other and to the EU itself is like a marriage.

France and Germany got married in a different era, when marriage was for life and you didn't expect it all to be a bed of roses – you just got on with it and made it work. He still sometimes forgets their anniversary and she still spends too much on shoes (though not nearly as much as before), but on the whole they're happy. They are also very proud of their grandchildren. (Aw, Latvia! He's so cute!)

The UK has also been married for a long time, but it was a shotgun wedding, not properly thought through, and regretted ever since. She never really loved him, and she now gripes incessantly. She still insists on separate bank accounts and separate bedrooms. She's also one big drama queen, threatening a divorce every time he burns the toast, but never actually leaving. I have a hunch she won't leave this time, either. If she did, she'd have to make her own toast. She wouldn't have anyone else to blame for all her problems. Plus she hasn't had a proper job for years and the money from her inheritance is running out.

Hungary is young, naive, and only got married fairly recently, after a whirlwind romance. She has now come down to earth with something of a bump. Ohmygaaaaawd! He leaves his dirty socks on the bedroom floor! No one warned me about this! She's recently been seen flirting with the macho guy next door over the garden fence, but I wouldn't read too much into that; her past experience with macho guys hasn't all been positive.

Hungary Hippo

Watchpost - what a great and funny post and all so true!

I'm with JR4ever on this - I think globalization is bad and the EU is bad. I've been learning a little about the Baltic countries' struggle to break away from the USSR in the 80s and have realized that communism tried to stifle smaller nations' identities and traditions through fear and oppression and I believe the EU and globalization is trying to do the same thing by stealthier means - make the EU one huge seething mass of displaced people of different cultures and try to turn it into one homogenized nothing.

duztee

Very good Watchpost, humorous and accurate.
Thanks for contributing.

fidobsa

But it is the EU that enables us to emigrate to alternative countries from UK. I agree that it was better when there was the Commonwealth and Brits could easily relocate to places like New Zealand, Australia and Canada, countries that even spoke our language but those doors are largely closed to us now. I was too young to vote in the 1975 referendum but would have voted against (I was only 15 but did have opinions, even then). I think we are now too far in to pull out and UK would flounder if it now isolated itself and had no close ties with any other country. Actually it amazes me how strong the UK economy remains since it lost most of its manufacturing industry. Perhaps the rest of the world looks at Britain through rose tinted specs?

jetsam1

Most of the UK's economy is based on service and financial chicanery, remove easy trade with the EU and you have problems. A cursory glance at European history demonstrates pretty clearly the benefits of European integration and cooperation. I think it's pretty stupid to throw all of it away, not saying reforms are probably required. It is disturbing to see the apparent rush towards the bottom that the UK government seems insistent upon but the big challenges even at the smaller scale are only solvable at international levels.

duztee

Mmmm, Well. Actually I was only being totally selfish and thinking of myself when I posed this question.

With the present situation of me being British living in an EU country my pension will rise yearly. If I were living in a non-EU country then (generally speaking) it would stay static.

As I said I'm not panicking yet :-)

FenTiger

I am thinking along the same lines.

mawood47

Is the withdrawal of UK questioned so much but as Hungary pulling out of the EU it is stated that 2020 changing over to Euro currency will this all so happen, the rumors are getting stronger wen Hungary as drained all the money for new infrastructure from EU Funding then time to look no further use of EU the PM Oban as thoughts same as UK, you may ask what infrastructure as rural areas never get say road improvements, but travel to Budapest and say the EU Funding New tram lines New trams now New bus have arrived over 280 new ones New trams next week from Spain to be installed on Tram Line 1 end year Tram Line 17, New Tram Sheds, New Inter transfer station Moscow Square The PM looks after Budapest first, last week head of EU Junker stated at EU meeting "Hear comes the Dictator" end of my ranting's "I no I have open a can of worms" so members whom wonder wear EU Funding go's travel to Budapest to see
digger47

Sachina

That's not quite true digger. I live in Northern Hungary, 25 kms from Kosice and 60 kms from Miskolc. Over the past 2/3 years Miskolc has had new trams. Tramlines and stops have all been modernised and that goes for the buses and bustops/station as well. There's also been massive construction and road works going on for a new "spaghetti junction" to the motorway. The general hospital (also a teaching hospital) now has numerous new buildings including a "state of the art" A&E. All these improvements have been done with EU funding!

As for the villages, whilst I can't speak for them all, in my village of only 70 inhabitants we now have a brand new pig farm. For the past two years every OAP has had a daily visit from the District Nurse/Home Help. The village has it's own full time Mini Taxi and driver who will do your shopping, take you to the hospital/doctors/dentist. We've had new concrete rainwater culverts laid throughout the village, a new bus shelter and at the moment they'e renovating the old vicarage to turn it into a leisure centre cum library. All paid for by the EU!

I don't know whether its common throughout the country or particular to my region which is the poorest in Hungary and also has the highest unemployment rate and Roma population. Many of the villages around here participate in a government scheme under which, able bodied men and women on unemployment benefits can be employed full time by the local mayor to do manual work i.e cleaning ditches, cutting grass etc. At the end of each month they're paid the difference between the amount they're receiving on unemployment benefit and what they would be paid if they were fully employed but not receiving unemployment benefits. This has made a tremendous difference to the lives of people in this area who now have a better income!

Rural Hungary

Love it watchpost

mawood47

Well you are in look hear in Fejér county nothing as happened only one project privet funded is the Velence Lake Beach reconstruction, I travel back to Budapest for OC treatment and every road is a nightmare for 56 km. as to hospitals I was in recently for 24hrs discharged my self owing to condition Budapest hospitals are a bought there'd class the best treatment in the city in in the Crematory they never complain digger47

cathyg

Maybe it depends on the mayor. In our village the mayor is very good at accessing funds and we have had many projects funded by the EU that have benefited the village.
I think Hungary has benefited massively from EU development funds and without it the economy would be in big trouble.
It should also be remembered that the UK also benefits from grants from the EU. Many charities and research groups would lose a lot if the UK came out of the EU. The voluntary sector has suffered greatly over the last few years and take out another tranche of funding would sound the death knell for many. I have seen my sector, youth services, totally destroyed. As you can tell I am not a fan of the Tories.