[updated:LAST EDITED ON 10-12-02 AT 07:11 PM (GMT)]Thursdays EU summit is round the corner and as well as the usual EU bureaucracy that comes with these types of summits some hard questions will have to be answered,
1.The possible inclusion of Turkey in the EU raises questions about the future make-up of the club and how far expansion should go,
2.although Cyprus has been more than ready to join the EU by meeting and surpassing most of the EU criteria can it join divided??
3.How will other countries feel in integrating East European countries with large agriculture sectors, which pose a potential burden on the EU’s coffers.
Many more Q&A I’m sure but I’d be interested in your opinions!!
regards
By: mongu - 10th December 2002 at 21:23
RE: EU Enlargement Process…In or Out!!!
Okay, my tuppence worth:
1. Turkey – I used to argue that Turkey should not be allowed to join because it was poor. But some of the future members are also poor so I guess wealth is no longer a pre-requisite for membership. However, Turkey still has severe human rights issues and morally, they should not be allowed to join.
2. Cyprus – it depends what Greece does. The Greeks really need to go out on a limb and defend Cyprus within the EU. Maybe Cyprus would be better becoming part of Greece? I’m only advocating that as a shortcut to EU membership. I think the US will pressurise the EU to be nice to Turkey, which is why the Greeks need to assert some counter pressure and stand up for their cousins. Greece also needs to be really friendly to Israel (even defend Israel at EU summits) becuase Israel and the US are the same thing anyway.
3. Eastern members. There was a sketch in the British satirical magazine Private Eye recently. It parodied Silvio Berlusconi (I assume it was him!) complaining:
“All these countries can’t join. They’re not nearly corrupt enough!”
So there you have it. Being poor=OK, being corrupt=absolutely fantastic. Hating democracy-wonderful, when can you join?
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December 10, 2002 at 7:06 pm