I’ve been hearing the ‘this is definitely the end/downfall of the EU’ for decades, often from the Anglosphere but also other countries. Maybe this time it’s true.
Got no issue with Magnus pov. Dvoes make me think of all the Brexit discussions though, where one of the main arguments against the EU was that it’s become too much of a political union.
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Which would be a disastrous “hoping for the best” way to go about this. Extremely convinient though. Comfortable. It is after all, what we in Europe did after Trump’s previous term. Has it not backfired enough ? Are we not fucked hard enough since 2022, in a non-consensual brutal manner, to have learned not to do this once again ? I would hope so.
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Fair, but that was never my own perspective 
I have been pro EU most of my life. I find a political union, more attractive, not less. Simply because it means power and I think we in Europe needs such power to compete with the bullies in a new Realpolitik World.
The alternative to power, if there is no “Rules Based Order”, is a form of vassalage (soft or hard, depending on liege) to a greater power. And we have seen this here, how Hard Power and geopolitics trumps the Old Order we were used to.
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Yeah I know. It’s just funny to me, because it’s on the same forum I used to debate people who wanted to leave the EU and become more like Norway, because it’s too much of a political union and then here’s the Norwegians not wanting to join the EU because it’s not enough of a political union. It’s just weirdly ironic.
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I can see that ! 
Are Germany having second thoughts as it’s not what they thought it was?
I’m torn by this ‘commercial’ deal in so many ways.
It’s evident why Germany and Italy wanted a deal to bring ‘stability’ being major exporters to the US.
Leaving so much unresolved is just nonsense. Which is why you don’t agree to things over breakfast. It’s also why ‘trade’ deals take so long to negotiate.
To me Europe don’t so much look weak, it was done to benefit 2 states, however definitely stupid!
She is correct and I hate it. I am no fan of her usually, primarily because of the tone she tends to have. But she has big brain and is no nonsense lady, if tasteless at times. And she is correct here. There is nothing she says that is not purely accurate:
https://x.com/vtchakarova/status/1954221751002411480
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Why is this a surprise? Surely this has been clear for some time.
edit:
p.s. Though I have not researched it I felt it and it seems something that was foreseen and commented on awhile back by those more knowledgeable than me.
p.p.s. Europe will continue to decline. We are happy with it on the whole - else we would rail against it.
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Well, it’s not a surprise to me and those who have deeper interest in politics and history. But it is a surprise to most Europeans.
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I don’t think this is true (but agree with your other points!). I think the “happy enough” blasè bit is due to blissful ignorance and failure to understand how absolutely terrible the forecast actually is; and not because most Europeans would accept the impending future if they were better informed.
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Agree, I was saying it was effect… but I would say that we are actively covering our ears to the message. When I mention it to people, in France or England or Germany, they sort of smile, as if to humor a deluded fool, and move the conversation on or simply move on… People see their immediate needs and not the long term view which, may affect their children or grand children. Low taxes, holidays, money for nothing and your chicks for free…
The high of about 500 years of dominance, and the associated inward cash flow, is not easy to come down from.
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It’s interesting that Die Linke trebled their vote during the Federal election by concentrating on housing. I’ve heard that the whole AirBnB thing is a massive problem in Berlin. Although I’ve heard a friend in Liverpool say something similar - that’s just Toxteth, but it is often the places where the cheaper housing traditionally was.
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Big issue in North Wales. Welsh government tried to tackle it but its recently been stalled by some legal action. I’ll try and dig out more details when I get a chance
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The housing situation in Berlin is catastrophic. Rents have rocketed and there just aren’t any flats to rent. A friend of mine, who is a single mother, has had to continue living with her alcoholic ex since January because there is simply nothing available.
This isn’t new. It’s been going on for years, but successive administrations, at state and national level, have done nothing about it.
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There seems to be a housing problem worldwide and has been for at least a few years now. I have been saying for a while that it can’t be so widespread without something organised being behind it. AirBnB is I think a huge contributer to the problem but I wouldn’t rule out large scale vulture funds having a fairly big part to play in it as well.
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Various issues are playing a role here. Uk’s experience is probably shared elsewhere. Difficulty getting enough new stuff built to meet demand, planning bottle necks, costs and red tape on landlords prompting them to do AirBnB instead. Probably other factors i’m forgetting too.
Ageing units and infrastructure compounded by when it is knocked down the opportunity is seen as an investment on a very cruel market.
I mean near me there’s fairly new appartements blocks with over 3/4s units empty. People are sitting on them waiting on their investment.
Add to that the diminishing buying power there’s many who can not get on the property market.
Another very complicated issue where the capital system is making it even harder.
My son is looking and has been for quite some time now. Most of what he’s looking at is '60’s to '90s stuff either awfully renovated or needing renovation so situating is extremely difficult.
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Housing is one of those things I think government needs to build, with decent quality and rent out or sell accordingly to citizens up to a certain income level and subsidize accordingly to their needs. According to my London friends, council or government housing are usually very bad so people with a reasonable income but not high enough to afford the private housing and the council house is just too bad.
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As for Germany, apart from the usual (bureaucracy, super complex laws that are different for each state, companies preferring more profitable ‘luxury apartments/buildings’ projects), also several key cost factors have gone up in price, such as key materials like concrete and others 50-70% plus also interest rates.
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