The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

Germany tell UK to leave EU if they want to control immigration

In yet another blow to David Cameron and the idea that the EU can be reformed in any significant way Angela Merkel has said immigration will never be reformed and the UK should leave if they want immigration controls.

Merkel has told David Cameron Germany will not accept or support any of his reforms and said 'that's it' and if the UK tries to control immigration it would be 'a point of no return'.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/11203783/Germany-says-UK-could-leave-EU-if-David-Cameron-insists-on-migrant-quotas.html

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/germany-britain.yjr

Scroll to see replies

It's like when you're dating someone who acts like a dick so you break up with them.
Reply 2
Avatar for Hopple
Hopple
18
Fine, but they'd still want free trade with us so there'd be no problem. Then France might get pissy and 'leave' (but keeping trade) too.
I doubt Germany wants the UK to leave. We do a huge amount of trade with Germany (we import more from Germany than anybody else), thus the Germans will want to maintain the trade structure currently in place. Also, we are the only major EU economy that has a fairly similar outlook to Germany - compared to the socialist minded Latin countries.
Reply 4
Avatar for Rakas21
Rakas21
21
This should not be a shock, free movement of labour is one of the four pillars.
Original post by Skip_Snip
It's like when you're dating someone who acts like a dick so you break up with them.


Not really because the UK knew what it signed up to when it joined the EU. The UK has no more right than any other member of the EU to demand special privileges under the guise of reform. If reform is to be made on immigration, it has to be across the whole of the EU and not just in the UK. That, or the UK leaves the EU. There isn't an in-between; we're either completely in or completely out.
"Right. I'll get me coat."
Reply 7
Avatar for Rakas21
Rakas21
21
Original post by Reluire
Not really because the UK knew what it signed up to when it joined the EU. The UK has no more right than any other member of the EU to demand special privileges under the guise of reform. If reform is to be made on immigration, it has to be across the whole of the EU and not just in the UK. That, or the UK leaves the EU. There isn't an in-between; we're either completely in or completely out.


Yes.. in this case the UK is being the dick and Germany is basically telling us they won't roll over.
Good. It was never going to happen anyway.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Rakas21
Yes.. in this case the UK is being the dick and Germany is basically telling us they won't roll over.


Ah, well that analogy was slightly ambiguous then as I thought he was expressing the opposite. I agree though; the UK is pushing its weight around and Germany is right to essentially say 'push off'.
Original post by Reluire
Ah, well that analogy was slightly ambiguous then as I thought he was expressing the opposite. I agree though; the UK is pushing its weight around and Germany is right to essentially say 'push off'.


He was, but that's because a lot of people feel pressured by the EU. In reality though, much of Europe is fine with the EU (a look at the European election results highlights this well - hardly the earthquake Ukip talked about outside of the UK and France).
So this is the democracy of the EU, if an entire nation wants different policies they have to leave?
Reply 12
Avatar for sdotd
sdotd
17
Original post by The_Last_Melon
So this is the democracy of the EU, if an entire nation wants different policies they have to leave?


EU isn't very democratic anyway

they ignored the irish vote remember
Original post by Skip_Snip
It's like when you're dating someone who acts like a dick so you break up with them.


Yeah but you and their family do business together and you're not sure what will happen to it after.
Original post by The_Last_Melon
So this is the democracy of the EU, if an entire nation wants different policies they have to leave?


The principle is that EU members cannot pick and choose, so treaty change has to be for everybody. If the UK cannot agree with the other nations then it should decide whether it wishes to continue its membership.
I think that's kind of the point, personally.

I reckon Cameron wants to get us out of the EU but doesn't want to take the responsibility for it if/when it all goes tits up. So, instead he's trying to push through something that would get us kicked out, then he can just say 'oh but the people wanted it' and look like he's just done something good.

Dunno what Germany is kicking off about though, pipe down.
I don't want us to leave the EU :frown:
Reply 17
Avatar for Aj12
Aj12
18
Original post by AuldReekie123
I doubt Germany wants the UK to leave. We do a huge amount of trade with Germany (we import more from Germany than anybody else), thus the Germans will want to maintain the trade structure currently in place. Also, we are the only major EU economy that has a fairly similar outlook to Germany - compared to the socialist minded Latin countries.


Of course they don't want us to leave, but what they are saying is we cannot expect to do away with a key pillar of the EU. Cameron has completely mishandled this from the start. There was absolutely no chance of immigration from the EU ever being capped or limited.
Original post by AuldReekie123
I doubt Germany wants the UK to leave. We do a huge amount of trade with Germany (we import more from Germany than anybody else), thus the Germans will want to maintain the trade structure currently in place. Also, we are the only major EU economy that has a fairly similar outlook to Germany - compared to the socialist minded Latin countries.


Clearly we do not have the same outlook as Germany on freedom of movement. What you are doing is choosing the things that ought to be important to you if you are Germany. However, it is Germany that will choose what is important to it.

On trade the key issue is not the present volume of trade but how much of it will remain if Britain leaves the EU. How many Brits will still buy BMWs if they come with a heavy import duty? How many Germans will switch to Irish rather than Scotch whisky?
Original post by infairverona
I think that's kind of the point, personally.

I reckon Cameron wants to get us out of the EU but doesn't want to take the responsibility for it if/when it all goes tits up. So, instead he's trying to push through something that would get us kicked out, then he can just say 'oh but the people wanted it' and look like he's just done something good.

Dunno what Germany is kicking off about though, pipe down.


Regardless of whether Cameron wants to leave or not, he can't force through the treaty change to get us kicked out. We'd rather, just get no treaty change and then he'd claim the EU was inflexible.

Germany has population decline, they probably want more immigrants.

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you