Eastern Europe questioning EU's role in crisis

[Almanac]

In an article yesterday on the coming G20 summit Tom McGurk made the interesting observation that

Not only is Topolanek angry that Obama may cancel plans for US missiles to be based in the Czech Republic, but his anger also has much to do with the intense political concern building across a broad spectrum of Eastern Europe about the particular consequences of the credit crunch for them and the EU’s role in it.

Many in such countries as Hungary, Bulgaria and Latvia - now awaiting IMF rescue - have a deep sense of having been encouraged into the union on false pretences.

Once they entered the EU, their old nationalised public utilities were bought up cheaply by multinationals and they were then encouraged to borrow heavily to make their way into the new capitalist economies.

A decade later, they are poorer than ever they were in the old Soviet days. Unemployment has surpassed all records and, despite being up to their necks in rising debt, the rest of the EU has refused them aid.

It seems they were sold a pup.

Norway was the one country which recorded economic growth last year and Norway is of course outside the Union but with access to the common market.

[Ramon21]

In an interesting article yesterday on the coming G20 summit Tom McGurk made the interesting observation that



It seems they were sold a pup.

Norway was the one country which recorded economic growth last year and Norway is of course outside the Union but with access to the common market.

They should complain less, we didn't know that there was a big trouble coming, only one who knew was brown.
This was done to help them grow, in the long run it would have worked.
Now there is some trouble and they all start complaining.
Well just sit it out after 2009 we can go on like normal again.
And why the hell do we trade with Norway let them suffer to.

[Almanac]

They should complain less, we didn't know that there was a big trouble coming, only one who knew was brown.
This was done to help them grow, in the long run it would have worked.
Now there is some trouble and they all start complaining.
Well just sit it out after 2009 we can go on like normal again.
And why the hell do we trade with Norway let them suffer to.

Well they seem to believe that they came in on false pretences.

[Ramon21]

Well they seem to believe that they came in on false pretences.

Well most of them get alot of money to help them.
Almost every country in the world right now got it hard.
Maybe some countries got off pretty good, but most didn't.(And I'm sure they would have been worse off if they didn't been in the eu.)
But like I said before, after 2009 we can go on like before this crisis.
Let's just hope we all can make it safe to there.

[Lthse]

Unlike many citizens in the West they are not brainwashed by western propaganda and know what it's like to live under totalitarianism.

[drbob1972]

In an interesting article yesterday on the coming G20 summit Tom McGurk made the interesting observation that



It seems they were sold a pup.

Norway was the one country which recorded economic growth last year and Norway is of course outside the Union but with access to the common market.

Is Norway a valid comparison ? it has massive natural resources esp in the form of Oil and Gas, how would it have faired without same ?

[Almanac]

Is Norway a valid comparison ? it has massive natural resources esp in the form of Oil and Gas, how would it have faired without same ?

I don't know. It also contributes sizably to the EU budget as a member of the European Economic Area.

[Almanac]

Unlike many citizens in the West they are not brainwashed by western propaganda and know what it's like to live under totalitarianism.

Yes look at President Vaclav's recent comments.

[Lthse]

Yes look at President Vaclav's recent comments.

Yes it's nothing new, they've been there, done that, and can smell it a mile away.

[cactusflower]

Asked a Lithuanian friend about this. She said that since the fall of communism turkey christmas dinner has been replaced with chicken legs. The place is in a seriously bad way.

After the fall of the USSR, life expectancy in Russia fell by more than 15 years. Jeffrey Sachs now says that he feels that the "aid packages" and "advice" given to Russia by the World Bank and IMF were intended to do the maximum possible damage.

Commanding Heights : Jeffrey Sachs | on PBS