Is it just me, or is the EU super screwed?

[eric]

[Dobby]

You probably need to rephrase the question to 'is the eurozone screwed?'. Spain and Italy will probably need some sort of bail out soon, with France and particularly Germany putting the most into it. I say eurozone as opposed to EU, as countries such as the UK could help but will probably see it as more of a drain on finances to help given that we don't use the euro. The EU itself, is in my eyes is relatively safe. The conditions on which it is currently built may have to change, but there are still countries lining up to join and most (again the UK being the exception) aren't that eurosceptic. The eurozone has the potential to fall. However, I think it is more likely that countries that don't meet certain economic conditions (such as Greece and Cyprus) will be kicked out before it falls completely.

[eric]

[Dobby]

[Dobby]

This diagram essentially shows how ridiculously complicated everything in Europe tends to be.

[eric]

[Dobby]

[PoS]

Germany is still doing okay, so is Scandinavia. The UK will prolly weather the storm too. Baltic states are doing well (thanks to real austerity) and so is Scandinavia. So the only worry is PIIGS, Cyprus and maybe France.

[eynon81]

Non wonders if the EU spread too far too fast.

Maybe a better way to have done it would have been to create Northern European entity and a Southern European or Latin entity.

Problem with that would have been that the large European states are spread between North and South. For instance a state incorporating Germany, Holland, Belgium, the Baltic states and the Scans would have been dominated by Germany...and I'm sure the rest of the members would have balked at that.

Seems traditionally you need France to counter balance Germany...but France is a hybrid Northern/Southern nation.

Maybe if Germany had politically restructured along 1850 lines, they've only been a country for 140 years or so. Smaller German states may seem politically (Bavaria, Saxony, etc) less intimidating to other potential members.

[Dobby]

You could just include the UK in this northern entity. Plus the southern entity would be screwed if France was not a part of it. Northern would be very prosperous though