Brexit

[dissily Mordentroge]

For me the core point of many modern countries (including the EU, although it is not a country) is that they seem to combine "worst of both worlds". It has both overbearing or stifling bureaucracy and regulations (the worst of "big government" and the surveillance options are "improved" every day) as well as the worst of "open borders", free trade and capitalism, e.g. Ireland, Luxembourg, even the Netherlands serving as tax havens, free mobility to exploit the cheapest workers from eastern and southeastern Europe (including brain drain of doctors and nurses that are now missing in Bulgaria and as the worst part trafficking girls from the Balkan states to German brothels). Similarly, it has the worst of corrupt, overpaid bureaucrats (often politicians not bearable anymore in their home countries because of scandals or general idiocy) and more lobbyists dictacting laws and rules that should benefit our corporate overlords than one could imagine.

Totally agree but what is the solution?

[Roasted Swan]

I'm at the stage of having being bored silly by the entire Brexit saga. It all leaves me puzzled though as to why so little public discussion has focused on the strangulating complexity and stupidity of European bureaucracy. Instance, many electronics manufactures no longer export to the Common Market due to major alterations required to their designs often pretending to be for 'public safety'. Not only do importers to the European Union suffer from Brussels strictures. Farmers are subject to pointless requirements such as being restricted for instance to only using an 'approved' range of seeds. The list could go on and on.

Those pesky farming regulations preventing us from importing lovely chlorinated chicken and hormone-injected meat.  Hurrah for Brexit and role on a very beneficial deal with the US............ or not..........

[dissily Mordentroge]

Those pesky farming regulations preventing us from importing lovely chlorinated chicken and hormone-injected meat.  Hurrah for Brexit and role on a very beneficial deal with the US............ or not..........

Why import them when identical product made in England can be had?

[Florestan]

the notion the the whole of Europe is "centrally controlled" from Brussels by scary, power hungry bureaucrats is utter nonsense.

Yes,. The power of the Brussels bureaucracy and its influence on the politics of the member states is greatly exaggerated. Heck, if they were so powerful and in control of everything, then how come Viktor Orban is still the prime-minister of Hungary or Jaroslaw Kaczynsky the president of Poland? How come Brexit is around the corner?

The member states, particularly the larger one, are the ones in political control. I guess I do not need to spell out which country/ies I am talking about? It's not my own country, I can tell you... 

Of course. It's not Brussels that calls the tune, it's Paris and Berlin. 

[steve ridgway]

I wonder if they'll get annoyed enough to stop using English .

[Que]

I wonder if they'll get annoyed enough to stop using English .

English will still be an official EU language after Brexit.
It is one of the official languages of two member states: the Irish Republic and Malta.
Besides, after the EU expansion to the East the (unofficial) "lingua franca" of the EU switched from French to English.

Q

[Christo]

English will still be an official EU language after Brexit.
It is one of the official languages of two member states: the Irish Republic and Malta.
Besides, after the EU expansion to the East the (unofficial) "lingua franca" of the EU switched from French to English.

Q

AFAIK, it isn't. Ireland decided to support Gaelic, Malta opted for Malti. No member state besides the UK supporting English, it means the European Parliament, according to its own rules, cannot maintain English unless the rules are changed. I hope not. 

[vandermolen]

It may have made some things easier but you would still have had to jump multiple bureaucratic hoops to import English goods into Europe.
If the EFTA still exists I can't imagine how they could manage to work around the fools in Brussels anyway.

Thanks. It appears to still exist.

[Que]

AFAIK, it isn't. Ireland decided to support Gaelic, Malta opted for Malti. No member state besides the UK supporting English, it means the European Parliament, according to its own rules, cannot maintain English unless the rules are changed. I hope not. 

I stand corrected.... 
Time for the Scots to join... Though they might opt for Scots or Scottish Gaelic?

Anyway, the European Commission already decided to keep English as a working language:

"The withdrawal of the United Kingdom will result in a limited reorientation of some functions within the administration, but the scope of activities will not change,"
"Translation and interpretation services in the English language will also remain unaffected."

Q

[steve ridgway]

I stand corrected.... 
Time for the Scots to join... Though they might opt for Scots or Scottish Gaelic?

Anyway, the European Commission already decided to keep English as a working language:

"The withdrawal of the United Kingdom will result in a limited reorientation of some functions within the administration, but the scope of activities will not change,"
"Translation and interpretation services in the English language will also remain unaffected."

Q

Well I hope they're going to pay England the royalties  .

[Mandryka]

I stand corrected.... 
Time for the Scots to join... Though they might opt for Scots or Scottish Gaelic?

Anyway, the European Commission already decided to keep English as a working language:

"The withdrawal of the United Kingdom will result in a limited reorientation of some functions within the administration, but the scope of activities will not change,"
"Translation and interpretation services in the English language will also remain unaffected."

Q

This discussion makes me happy to be leaving the EU, cheerio and good luck! It reminds me of a scene in Woody Allen's Bananas where after winning power the dictator of a banana republic in South America decrees the national language to be Swedish. Here

https://www.youtube.com/v/EV4N2dk0cMk

[Que]

This discussion makes me happy to be leaving the EU, cheerio and good luck! It reminds me of a scene in Woody Allen's Bananas where after winning power the dictator of a banana republic in South America decrees the national language to be Swedish. Here

https://www.youtube.com/v/EV4N2dk0cMk

Best of luck to you too! 

You might need it, though for the time being the UK will remain closely tied to the EU.
The UK has decided to leave the house but will stay the coming year in the garden shed, so to speak. 

The European Commission has three working languages, the others being French and German.
You might find the situation absurd, but (currently) English is the most widely spoken (1st or 2nd) language in the EU.
And it is, as I mentioned before, an official language in two of the remaining member states. Blame colonialism,  if you will...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_European_Union

Q

[Florestan]

The European Commission has three working languages, the others being French and German.

None of which is going to replace English as the lingua franca of the whole world, not only Europe.

Even during the Napoleonic Wars the Prussian and Russian aristocracy spoke French without any remorse or second thoughts; to "punish" UK by renouncing English as on official EU language would be the top of folly. 

[ritter]

...
Even during the Napoleonic Wars the Prussian and Russian aristocracy spoke French without any remorse or second thoughts

Oh les beaux jours..... 

[vandermolen]

Best of luck to you too! 

You might need it, though for the time being the UK will remain closely tied to the EU.
The UK has decided to leave the house but will stay the coming year in the garden shed, so to speak. 

The European Commission has three working languages, the others being French and German.
You might find the situation absurd, but (currently) English is the most widely spoken (1st or 2nd) language in the EU.
And it is, as I mentioned before, an official language in two of the remaining member states. Blame colonialism,  if you will...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_European_Union

Q

I like your garden shed analogy.

[Florestan]

Oh les beaux jours..... 

Précisément, cher ami! 

[Irons]

I like your garden shed analogy.

Jeremy would feel more at home then Boris.

[vandermolen]

Jeremy would feel more at home then Boris.

True or possibly David Cameron, in a very posh designer shed.

[Florestan]

True or possibly David Cameron, in a very posh designer shed.

Is he still alive? He must be very proud of the mess he singlehandedly created.

[vandermolen]

Is he still alive? He must be very proud of the mess he singlehandedly created.

Totally agree with you.
Here he is partying recently: