Thread

1. neom · 1789557380 · focus · HN ↗

   No idea what this actually means, if it means easier trade, I'm all for anything that reduces our dependency on the yanks, as long as we don't need to be involved in their regulatory or legal regimes. The Americans are no longer our friends, Salut, mes amis Européens. :)

   1. FabCH · 1789557897 · focus · HN ↗

      Carney was asking for freedom of movement of goods, people and services, but without full monetary and legislative integration.

      So, easier to sell stuff, easier to buy stuff, free to just travel to/from Canada/EU and work there with no extra paperwork, free to buy and sell service from Canada to EU and vice versa.

      No Euro, no vote in EU, no ECJ, no payments into each others budget.

      Tighter integration than UK, not as tight as Norway/Switzerland/Iceland.

      Common defense was already agreed anyhow.

      I can tell you this enjoys broad support in the EU public. Although, no joke, a lot of peoples first reaction is: "They need to compete in Eurovision first. Otherwise they should wait for Australia to join first."

      1. klelatti · 1789559328 · focus · HN ↗

         > Carney was asking for freedom of movement of goods, people and services, but without full monetary and legislative integration.

         > no payments into each others budget.

         Not going to happen!

         To enable free movement of goods and services the EU insists that the goods and services are produced in an identical regulatory environment.

         Even when the regimes are basically identical - eg the UK - then the EU doesn't permit it without budgetary contributions.

         1. fidotron · 1789560403 · focus · HN ↗

            It's actually going to raise questions as to why the EU are A-OK with this now when a possible interpretation of associate membership is it's what Cameron was trying to negotiate the UK into when complete inflexibility on the EU side triggered the Brexit referendum.

            All depends on what an associate member is of course.

            1. Sharlin · 1789561131 · focus · HN ↗

               The UK already enjoyed a large amount of unique concessions as a full member. The rest of the EU was right not to give in. Also, game theoretically it's of course more important to not make leaving (or threatening to leave) the union seem too lucrative. No such problem in negotiating tighter integration with nonmembers (and in retrospect, many of the old WP countries should've joined as something like associate members at first…)

               1. fidotron · 1789561525 · focus · HN ↗

                  This is the other part: if associate membership is a thing then won't half of the EU start thinking that's their future?

                  1. lII1lIlI11ll · 1789564680 · focus · HN ↗

                     > This is the other part: if associate membership is a thing then won't half of the EU start thinking that's their future?

                     Presumably by "half of the EU" you mean (sometimes) euro-sceptic states like Hungary or Poland? Well, these are not in EU because some illuminati/lizard people tricked them into joining and now won't allow them to leave, like some of their politicians would like you to believe, but because they enjoy billions of subsidies per year.

                     1. fidotron · 1789566521 · focus · HN ↗

                        There is a strong case that much of the eastern bloc were tricked into joining, by the UK, in order to weaken the Franco-German efforts for ever closer union.

                        This was even a joke in the UK at the time. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=ZVYqB0uTKlE" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=ZVYqB0uTKlE

                        1. lII1lIlI11ll · 1789567884 · focus · HN ↗

                           Could you elaborate regarding how exactly were eastern bloc countries &quot;tricked&quot; into joining by the UK? And what prevents them from leaving now that the tricksters from UK have long since left themselves?

                           1. fidotron · 1789568796 · focus · HN ↗

                              I refer you to the video as to the why and how, keeping in mind that&#x27;s before the Berlin Wall came down.

                              The Brits have a habit of only telling you the precise truth when they think you think they&#x27;re joking.

                              1. lII1lIlI11ll · 1789569269 · focus · HN ↗

                                 A clip from a comedic fiction TV series? So much for a &quot;strong case to be made&quot;...
                           2. whywhywhywhy · 1789571949 · focus · HN ↗

                              &gt; the tricksters from UK have long since left themselves?

                              This wasn’t intentional of the people who started the cogs turning, it was meant to be an empty gesture to get elected, no one expected it to actually pass.

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