why does Britain have such little control and power in the EU

- France and Germany basically run it.
- We are simply a dumping ground for their unwanted immigrants.
- Why are we allowing ourselves to be controlled ?
- If we were running the EU and controlling it, most people would want to stay in the EU.

Reply 1

SilenceNo1

It seems like even before joining the EU there's a foreign power controlling immigration.

Reply 2

Rakas21

Original post by democracyforum

Your wondering why a country which refuses to join the core and often whines is not regarded as having as much influence of the largest military and economic states in the Euro-zone?

That being said skeptics often overstate how much influence we have as we often form a voting block in the council with the northern and central European states. For example, the EU has since 09 put greater onus on free trade and that's regarded as being a British accomplishment.

Unwanted? We get a lot of quality immigration (admittedly also unskilled).

In my case i'm not oppose to ceding some control to Brussels because i more about content than origins. Granted there are changes i'd make both to the EU and ECHR.

I agree.

Reply 3

Kool_Panda

Original post by democracyforum

Germany has 2 million more immigrants than us and France has roughly the same as us.

Reply 4

Pectorac

We're small, we're broke and we have an idiot as a leader. It's never going to get any better for us in Europe; they simply don't need us.

Reply 5

MacDaddi

As a "collective" no single state should wield any kind of decisive power

OP is a troll.

The fact of the matter is that in life you get treated as badly as you allow yourself to be treated.

A decade or more of ceding power and handing over money while demanding very little in return sets a strong precedent in the minds of our foreign counterparts. We're seen as a soft touch.

Reply 8

shahbaz

We share the power with like 20 other countries.

Reply 9

Rakas21

Original post by OMGWTFBBQ

Evidence for being seen as a soft touch. If anything the perception I get is that we are the tight, wealthy pensioner who grumbles a lot.

Reply 10

Old_Simon

We all know that the German Fuhrer Angela Merkel is bossing the EU.

Reply 11

Fashion Girl

Britain needs time to gain footing in the EU. For the last couple of years, since the breakup of the British Empire, and following two world wars, we've had to pay off a large amount of debt. That debt only got paid when Gordon Brown came to power in 2007. So for the last 7-8 years we have been working hard to get a footing in the EU. Bear in mind that this is the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister isn't the only leader in the country whose opinions matter on things. There are many powerful regional players in politics who favour the EU. I know that David Cameron is harming no one when he wants to give the United Kingdom a say in how things should happen in his country, but we are already pretty isolated and this isn't helping. Our national currency unlike Germany's is the pound not the Euro, so we haven't absorbed the EU the same way as Germany has. And when it comes to national currency that is a good thing because Merkel is a very unpopular leader amonsgst most Germans - it's just Germany isn't America, we still know our options well and who would be the best person to go with to rule the country. With time, I strongly believe that Great Britain will first and foremost earn it's place in Europe. Managing dominions, the Commonwealth are just day-to-day matters...we don't rule over the country or something and absolutely have no desire to do so either. For the EU, Britain is a relatively key player, albeit a weaker one when you see heavyweights like Italy, Germany or France. But we are atill far bettr off than let's say Austria or Czechoslovakia or even Spain :lolwut:

. I think as more and more people get interested in improving the conditions in their country, they will find that there really is no better alternative than just belonging in Europe, not unnecessarily fighting with your neigbours, and a part of that is working more for the EU. :pinch:

Reply 12

Observatory

Original post by democracyforum

- France and Germany basically run it.

Britain only seems so weak because people (falsely) believe that the EU is run by France and Germany. It seems odd, then, that Britain has much less influence than France, which is about the same size, and Germany, which is a bit bigger but also a lot weaker militarily.

It makes a lot more sense when you consider that the entire rest of the EU favours integration, not just France and Germany. Britain is about 10% of the population of the EU and about 15% of its GDP. Why would you expect Britain to ever beat the other 90-something% on anything?

People who argue for a more Europhile Britain on the grounds that it would increase British influence in the EU have the causation backwards: the EU would move in the same direction it was going to move anyway, the only difference then being that Britain would be supporting changes it neither originated nor controlled, rather than opposing them.