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German economic sociologist Wolfgang Streeck has written on the issue numerous times and considers the EU is an untenable house of cards that subsidizes poorly

German economic sociologist Wolfgang Streeck has written on the issue numerous times and considers the EU is an untenable house of cards that subsidizes poorly performing states and in doing so strong-arms them into capitulation with neoliberal reforms that erode safety nets and lower the standard of living in these countries in an arguably noble goal of elevating GDP and trade in a trickle-down fantasy. by making these countries tangibly worse, they drive immigration to population centers in the north like Germany and contribute to brain-drain and stagnation in the very countries they ostensibly seek to improve. the alternative is to impose stricter controls on Germany such that it cannot use EU membership as an altruistic cudgel to march the continent into neufeudalist technocratic hell. its my prediction the children of the shengen generation in Croatia will look back on the moment with indifference or scorn.

lispm 4y ago
> lower the standard of living in these countries Where? > Germany such that it cannot use EU membership Germany is in a minority position. Not even 20% of the EU population and small member states have larger voting power.
pavlov 4y ago
So which exactly are the countries that are “tangibly worse” after joining the EU? Let’s look at the past 40 years. Spain and Portugal have obviously gained immensely from membership. Sweden and Finland are better positioned inside the union than Norway which remained outside and became a rule-taker (implements EU law but gets no say). Former Soviet states like Estonia are very happy to be part of the West European community. Etc. If you say “Greece,” then you’ll have to point to concrete evidence that the country would have somehow fared better outside the EU because it was such a basket case all along.
- SergeAx 4y ago
  What about Bulgaria? Population decline, depressing cities except those by the sea. Mediocre airline carrier, surrendered to RyanAir and WizzAir. Talented youngster are taking off getting job in Germany or France. Only recent COVID-induced lockdowns and rise of WfH made some of them to return.
  - AntiRemoteWork 4y ago
    [dead]

lispm 4y ago

> lower the standard of living in these countries Where? > Germany such that it cannot use EU membership Germany is in a minority position. Not even 20% of the EU population and small member states have larger voting power.

pavlov 4y ago

So which exactly are the countries that are “tangibly worse” after joining the EU? Let’s look at the past 40 years. Spain and Portugal have obviously gained immensely from membership. Sweden and Finland are better positioned inside the union than Norway which remained outside and became a rule-taker (implements EU law but gets no say). Former Soviet states like Estonia are very happy to be part of the West European community. Etc. If you say “Greece,” then you’ll have to point to concrete evidence that the country would have somehow fared better outside the EU because it was such a basket case all along.

SergeAx 4y ago
What about Bulgaria? Population decline, depressing cities except those by the sea. Mediocre airline carrier, surrendered to RyanAir and WizzAir. Talented youngster are taking off getting job in Germany or France. Only recent COVID-induced lockdowns and rise of WfH made some of them to return.
- AntiRemoteWork 4y ago
  [dead]