The European Community

[Bradybunch]

I previously posted a thread on the Euro asking for peoples opinions which was on the old forum. It prompted an interesting debate so I was going to re-post it but have changed it slightly to fit in with current events.

So we are bit further through the recession, apparently we have another 3 years of this pain according to Sir Mervyn King.

The Greeks are protesting at the new austerity measures put in place by their government and the Irish are pelting their bankers with eggs at share holder meetings. Portugal seems to have gone very quiet at the moment probably due to it being in the middle of the tourism season.

However, Economists are suggesting that these countries should just throw in the towel and default on the loans which is worrying considering the UK are set to bail out Greece for a second time.

So our Electricity and Gas Prices are going up AGAIN, Food prices have become ridiculous and are set to continue to rise along with inflation being twice the amount that Sir Mervyn King wants.

The country has no money but we always manage to find some to bail other countries out and I cant help but think maybe we should have taken on the Euro and then maybe we could have been bailed out instead of bailing out everyone else?

What do you think?:poke::poke::poke:

[sam & dan]

I would definatley agree with you as the strange thing about the uk is they always seem to help everyone else out first and ignore the fact that there own are suffering and need help first have never understood the goverment for doing this makes no sense at all but maybe that why they have a major problem in people comming over from other countries and taking jobs and houses that are needed by the uk public because they is a big welcome matt for them???

[megsdad]

Prepare for more bad news here in Spain. Portugal , Ireland and Greece will pale into insignificance when the depth of Spains debt and problems finally comes on top before the end of this year.
Think it´s hard now? hold on to your hat we are in for a VERY bumpy ride!!!

[9PLUS]

The European Community is a great "idea" but would "only" fully work if all were equal in the beginning of this comun bond

I believe we should be united but not at the cost of ones Sovereignty nor Legal constitution

But two of the main reasons we are still in this recession are


Banks not lending money they were saved with
Manufacturing and Industy but alas it's mostly in Asia.


This is Europe a mix of unique & extremely interesting cultures - Lets leave it that way.

[Bradybunch]

Britain increases IMF contribution by £9bn as cost of euro bailout soars to £22bn...

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2003709/Athens-riots-Police-tear-gas-protesters-hurl-Greek-yoghurt.html#ixzz1PRAYHt7I

So we manage to find another £9bn to help out those in the Euro, what about ploughing that amount back into our economy and reduce our VAT and prices and maybe then we can kick start getting out of this recession earlier.

[Gfplux]

I am a Brit living in Luxembourg.
It is a shame that the UK did not join the Euro. However it has meant that those Brits who travel in Europe on Holiday and business have found the pound buying less and less and less Euro's over the years.
All the talk over those years of a "broken" Euro has not weakend the Euro against the Pound.
The moment was missed for good or bad to join but in my opinion this will never happen within the next 20 or more years, if ever.
Whatever happens in the next couple of years it seams to me that any problems with the Euro zone will continue to hurt the UK Who do not appear immune to the problems of Europe.

[Pooh]

The EC itself is mostly ok, but mismanaged...
The Eurozone however... they should never have let countries with shaky economies, such as Greece, into the Euro - for their own sake. In the Euro they can't devalue themselves out of a crisis, they have lost one of the main tools to deal with their bad economy.

The recession... some countries, like Sweden, are well and truly through it already, having an annual growth rate of 7% or more, and falling unemployment rates. (Although, as always, there are a lot of jobs available, but the unemployed don't have the right competence, so competent people has to be imported...)
Here in southern Europe is another story though... Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal. I see no end to the crisis here.