Is it time for Europe to unite?

[Heloin]

A Greater Germany of Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, German Switzerland, German Italy, German Denmark, German Netherlands, German Belgium and German France.

There is German Netherlands?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_ann ... _World_War

[The Blaatschapen]

There is German Netherlands?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_ann ... _World_War

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_ann ... War#Return

[Heloin]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_ann ... _World_War

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_ann ... War#Return

Besides who doesn't love silly Groot-Nederland.

[The Blaatschapen]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_ann ... War#Return

Besides who doesn't love silly Groot-Nederland.

I can wholeheartedly agree to Germany getting all that coloured territory back from the Netherlands.

[The Two Jerseys]

A Greater Germany of Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, German Switzerland, German Italy, German Denmark, German Netherlands, German Belgium and German France.

There is German Netherlands?

Nederlands ist Österreich, Österreich ist Deutschland, Nederlands ist Deutschland! Heil das transitive property!

[The Blaatschapen]

There is German Netherlands?

Nederlands ist Österreich, Österreich ist Deutschland, Nederlands ist Deutschland! Heil das transitive property!

property is feminine in German (die Eigenschaft). Why would you use 'das'?

[Shanghai industrial complex]

A Greater Germany of Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, German Switzerland, German Italy, German Denmark, German Netherlands, German Belgium and German France.

Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland(Most of the cities mentioned in the song are not in Germany )

[The Two Jerseys]

Nederlands ist Österreich, Österreich ist Deutschland, Nederlands ist Deutschland! Heil das transitive property!

property is feminine in German (die Eigenschaft). Why would you use 'das'?

Because grammatically correct German jokes are less funny.

[Stellar Colonies]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_ann ... _World_War

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_ann ... War#Return

The territory was returned to West Germany on 1 August 1963, except one small hill (about 3 km² (1.2 sq mi)) near Wyler village, called Duivelsberg/Wylerberg which was annexed by the Netherlands.

Well, there still is that single hill...

[Cisairse]

..........do you know what the word "illegal" means

or do you think it's just a magnitude modifier

legal immigration is legal immigration and illegal immigration is illegal immigration, and should not be tolerated by any nation, it is this easy to do and understand.

Sure, but in the post I had quoted, you literally said that leaders are using legal methods for illegal immigration, which is obviously ridiculous.

[Bienenhalde]

I think there is room for the EU to strengthen and centralize in some cases, IE, in the way they handle their monetary policies or the way even in which they might set fiscal recommendations etc etc, but in terms of all out European federalism, I think it misses the mark and allows for the possibility of a bloated bureaucracy that won't respond effectively to the needs of each individual European nation. Certainly, the EU can do more to promote human rights within their member-states and work more collaboratively in immigration policy, social policy, etc etc, but beyond that, no.

What about greater European unity in the areas of defense and foreign policy though? In my opinion that would be a top priority.

[Bienenhalde]

Would you accept a federal constitutional elective monarchy?

What would be the difference between this elective monarchy, and a constitutional republic other than the name of the head of state? What powers would the king/queen/royal family have?

I imagine it being kind of like the Holy Roman Empire, except less chaotic and wartorn. The emperor or empress should have actual political power, but still constrained by a constitution and checks and balances.

[Novus America]

I think there is room for the EU to strengthen and centralize in some cases, IE, in the way they handle their monetary policies or the way even in which they might set fiscal recommendations etc etc, but in terms of all out European federalism, I think it misses the mark and allows for the possibility of a bloated bureaucracy that won't respond effectively to the needs of each individual European nation. Certainly, the EU can do more to promote human rights within their member-states and work more collaboratively in immigration policy, social policy, etc etc, but beyond that, no.

What about greater European unity in the areas of defense and foreign policy though? In my opinion that would be a top priority.

That is one of the most contentious areas though. Germany’s sucking up to Russia on energy for example has gone over extremely poorly in Poland and the Baltics. Most EU countries are in NATO some are not. Some want to spend on defense, some do not.
Unless there can be some consensus on those areas, unity is very hard.

[Bienenhalde]

What about greater European unity in the areas of defense and foreign policy though? In my opinion that would be a top priority.

That is one of the most contentious areas though. Germany’s sucking up to Russia on energy for example has gone over extremely poorly in Poland and the Baltics. Most EU countries are in NATO some are not. Some want to spend on defense, some do not.
Unless there can be some consensus on those areas, unity is very hard.

Russia is a hostile dictatorship and a threat to European democracies. The EU needs to unite against Putin, the PRC, and the Shanghai Pact.

[Novus America]

That is one of the most contentious areas though. Germany’s sucking up to Russia on energy for example has gone over extremely poorly in Poland and the Baltics. Most EU countries are in NATO some are not. Some want to spend on defense, some do not.
Unless there can be some consensus on those areas, unity is very hard.

Russia is a hostile dictatorship and a threat to European democracies. The EU needs to unite against Putin, the PRC, and the Shanghai Pact.

I tend to agree, but Europeans do not. Italy is sucking up to the PRC, and Germany’s atrocious energy policy is making them ever reliant on Putin. So unless European countries can actually agree on this, it is not going to go anywhere.

The thing here is are we talking about what we would like to happen? Or what is actually happening? Because those can be quite different things.

[Fortisinunum]

I doubt that we share enough goals as nations for a United Europe to actually work. It would have to have a strong government (which should be the case anyway but it would be too much work for one group).

[Ansarre]

I tend to agree, but Europeans do not.

This is a bad phrasing. Some European governments do not. European peoples are very favourable towards the idea of unification.

[Novus America]

I tend to agree, but Europeans do not.

This is a bad phrasing. Some European governments do not. European peoples are very favourable towards the idea of unification.

Well this was specifically foreign and energy policy. Do Europeans agree on how to deal with Russia and the PRC? Do they agree on NATO membership and defense spending? Apparently not given the very different policies in each country, and each country has a (well most) democratically elected government.
And unless you get the governments to agree it goes nowhere.

Having a united foreign and military policy requires deciding on those things.
Germany would for example no longer be able to claim the Nord Stream/Molotov Ribbentrop pipeline to screw Poland and make Germany more reliant on Putin is simply a German rather than European affair.
Something Germany would not be likely to do.

[Auristania]

They can do what they like as long as they leave United Kingdom alone.

[Atheris]

Hell no.

[Vivolkha]

They can do what they like as long as they leave United Kingdom alone.

If the UK doesn't want to be part of a unification process, they shouldn't be forced to.