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Charles Pickles's avatar

All that stated is the very reason why we, British, voted to leave the EU despite the fury of the elite in Parliament, the Civil Service, and the Media. Horribly, that break which should have freed us from the dictatorial laws, rules and the edifice of bureaucratic meddling has failed, for the time being. The political shafting will be addressed at the next general election, when those responsible are made history. But of course, as we have been informed, the pressures on us as a nation from the awfulness of the past three decades of government could well burst the dam of constraint and erupt into civil disturbance, even war. The states of the EU are similarly poised.

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The Brawl Street Journal's avatar

Let’s hope it won’t come to that.

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Silesianus's avatar

I am taken aback by the scale of these internal barriers in the EU - so much has been done to free up movement of goods and capital, one would thought that instead of trying to micromanage everything, the Commission would be looking to collect that low-hanging fruit, as you called it.

You are also right in that the EU has suffered from low internal demand for too long. The high tax burden overall means that any gains from growth thay could be had through greater consumption are constantly being sacrificed for ever more mediocre social provisions.

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The Brawl Street Journal's avatar

I agree. And taxing away growth for mediocre social programs and pie-in-the-sky projects only deepens public resentment toward EU institutions.

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the long warred's avatar

Sir why is anyone surprised that people justify their jobs and feather their nests?

Moving forward the American elites have decided there’s more profit in rebuilding the nation than looting America.

“It’s just business.”

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the long warred's avatar

1) Money doesn’t bring people together except as conflict.

2) Brussels sounds like DC. Funny that…🤔

3) Perhaps you could try “Nations” ? We 🇺🇸 have recently discovered the virtues of a Nation.

It worked well enough in 1648.

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The Brawl Street Journal's avatar

Making "nation" respectable again would go a long way toward restoring trust in EU institutions.

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the long warred's avatar

Oh dear, Sir I think you had better choose.

Here we have chosen America over DC.

I politely suggest you choose your nation over Brussels.

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Gianluca Benigno's avatar

Nice piece but I wonder where are the leaders that could embrace the Europe first vision? It seems to me that national interest dominates and constitutes a serious limit for that purpose.

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The Brawl Street Journal's avatar

Thank you! That’s the trillion-euro question. Today’s career politicians, who’ve never built anything outside politics, have made leadership of that kind almost impossible.

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Alexander Fernandez's avatar

This post hits a crucial point: while external tariffs from the US pose a real challenge, the EU’s own internal non-tariff barriers are an even bigger hidden drag on growth and integration.

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Andy Fately's avatar

I can't help but think that based on this analysis, which is excellent, that Europe has failed on its own terms. wasn't the idea behind the EEC to create a common market so all members could participate equally? alas, the true definition of 'free trade' the goal toward which so many strive is, we can sell you all the crap we make with no tariffs attached, but anything you sell to us must meet our strict rules to protect our valuable culture. President Trump has broken that model and Europe hasn't figured out what to do, although I guess they are prepared for war according to Friedrich Merz!

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The Brawl Street Journal's avatar

Thank you! That sums it up pretty accurately. The common market used to be the EU's unifying theme, today it's guns and bombs.

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