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| European Union (member-countries) |
Currently, 27 countries make up the European Union (EU). Sounds simple right? Add in...
- Council of the EU
- European Commission
- European Parliament
- European Court of Justice
- European Council
- A whole bunch of complicated issues*****
And then it gets confusing...
Steven and I took Dr. Pustay's MGMT 450H (International Environment of Business) course last semester. We studied a chapter that covered the European Union, one of the hardest sections to comprehend (at least for me). One of the important things I took away from the seminar is the fact that the EU was formed on the vision of unity and peace among the European countries (or in other words, economic and political entity). After all, Dr. Pustay did mention how Germany has stopped attacking France since the EU was established.
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| No more of this! |
There were a ton of issues mentioned during the seminar. From considering whether or not to accept Turkey (and Siberia) into the EU to the debt crisis in Greece (as well as in Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and Italy) to having to deal with structural unemployment and the rising old-age dependency ratio, Europe has a lot on its plate. It will be interesting to see how these issues play out into the future.
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| This piggy bank is concerned :/ |
Any thoughts on the seminar?
During the whole seminar, the saying "The more you know, the more you know you DON'T know" kept running through my head. I had attended the lecture given by the Danish Permanent Secretary of State, Claus Grube, the day before our seminar (along with Alayne and Mariah) and Dr. Pustay definitely had a different way of looking at the situation. And obviously, as a tried and true American, it made far more sense to me than how Mr. Grube presented it.
ReplyDeleteObviously, the complexity of the problems in Europe is at an all time high and reflecting back on Dr. Pustay's commentary, it almost enrages me that things will not be fixed in the way that Americans think that they should be. In the midst of my frustration, though, I am reminded that my perspective is not necessarily the correct perspective and that no opinion is appropriate 100% of the time. Which is the basis for why I love International Relations.
I find the European Union absolutely fascinating and I will be spending my summer abroad in London studying European Politics and History. In essence, I just received a free crash course from a pro! Like Claus Grube said of the title of his seminar "Strategic Issues Facing Europe," (which was, coincidentally, the same title given for Dr. Pustay's seminar) Europe has always had strategic issues with which it must deal with and the situation in which the EU finds itself in is a result of many incremental decisions that have been made up to this point and it will see its way out of this mess with many more incremental decisions that should hopefully lead to stability.
I'm with Elaine: the more Dr. Pustay explained the way the EU works, the more I realized how much more there was to learn. Then he got to the European Council and the Council of the European Union. I mean, really--are they *trying* to make this as confusing as possible? Then again, try explaining the electoral college to someone from outside the United States. Everything looks strange if you aren't familiar with it. Moreover, keeping the power from concentrating in the most powerful countries, be it economically or population-wise, is no easy task. Any solution is bound to be convoluted.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I wish we'd had more time to address was the future of the EU. The political ties are being pushed to their limits: how much more will countries be willing to put up with before they decide it is no longer in their best interest to keep bailing countries like Greece (and Portugal and Spain and Ireland and Italy) out? Will they come to this decision? Will Greece be forced off of the euro?
Of course, it's easy to get bogged down in what's going wrong with Europe, but like Dr. Pustay said, the EU has done wonderful things. Doom and gloom might be make for more stimulating conversation, but there are a lot of positives to the EU.
You bring up a valid point, Abbie. It's like the saying that we have in Aggieland, "From the outside looking in, you can't understand it. From the inside looking out, you can't explain it." We have our quirks in America, just as the European Union does. Funny how it's easier to spot and criticize the problems of other countries rather than our own.
ReplyDeleteDespite the fact that the EU is struggling to unify its members and deal with the issue of sovereignty, it has done great things (i.e. Germany). However, in regards to the future of the EU, I do not think that it can continue to accept countries into the union and sustain itself. Especially as they face the economic crisis of present day, it further proves they must restrict admission, as well as enforce more rigorous rules and regulations for their current member states.
There is one thing that I have been wondering for a while. When I took GEOG 320 The Middle East, my professor told us that everything West of Istanbul is European from head to toe. In fact, there's almost a dividing line between Middle Eastern culture and European culture down the center of the city. Even though there is not much land to the West of Istanbul, it is still considered more "developed and prosperous" if I remember him saying correctly. In fact it's a popular tourist spot for Westerners because it has the dynamics of Middle Eastern culture with "the comforts of home."
ReplyDeleteWith this in mind, do you think Turkey would get so desperate as to separate into two different countries, allowing the more aesthetically pleasing West to join the EU, opening the door for East Turkey to have a greater chance of being accepted? Or do you think that it's not that important of an issue to the Turkish, and they will eventually settle with whatever the EU proposes for them?
In my opinion, Turkey doesn't necessarily need the EU, but it does provide notable benefits in regards to the interconnection of the EU economic market. I believe that Turkey should propose and, if offered, take the same deal that the Scandinavian countries worked out with the EU. They are faring just fine without the full integration of the EU and I wish that Turkey would try for that more than anything. But any other thoughts?
I know that was a little extreme, but I like to think in far left, far right, and middle ground terms.
Brawnlyn, you brought up some good points. I am a nerd about the Middle East and so this is something that peaks my interest. As Dr. Pustay mentioned, I think that Turkey would benefit economically from the joining the EU if it only took the economic agreement, it would stimulate the economy and allow their goods to be distributed throughout the EU without having to actually join it. I think it is unwise for Turkey to join the EU because of the current state of the EU. And it's also important to keep in my what Dr. Pustay said that Turkey is beginning to distance itself from the idea of joining the EU because it does very well independently and it's leaders are seeing that.
DeleteOn the other hand, I don't think that the EU would be very welcoming to Turkey. I think that the EU, like many Western countries, despite contrary remarks, has Islam-phobia. Why hasn't the EU allowed Turkey in before? If it has made many of the necessary reforms, then the only thing standing in the way of admission seems to be cultural, political, and religious differences. I also think that if the EU is facing identity crisis with its current members because of the languages and culture, adding a country that does not share the same culture would add stress. So it would be in Turkey's best interest to avoid joining the EU and becoming a full EU member.
I highly doubt that Turkey would break into two different countries because of it's history and the importance of geographical and cultural locations, not to mention that it would cause a schism between the different religious entities that reside within Turkey.
So definitely agree with you, I think that Turkey should strike an economic deal with EU and then wager whether or not they should join the EU.
In response to the Turkey discussion, it seems to me getting the benefits of being in the EU without having to hand over the great sums of money that are required to support the struggling countries is like "having one's cake and eating it too". In my opinion it seems like a great deal what the Scandinavians have worked out to have access to EU markets. This solution would probably benefit Turkey too but it seems very unfair to the countries that have to bear the burden and risk of uncertain countries like Greece. Maybe that is not a great concern to Germany or France and other large economies but it is I can understand why they would have an issue with negotiating this kind of alliance.
DeleteIn addition to what has already been said about the strategic issues facing the EU discussion from Elaine, Allison, and Abbie, as an American I know I forget about all of the cultural implications that face the EU. Unlike the US where we may proudly be Aggies, Texans, and Southerners, we all claim to be Americans first and foremost. The examples about a French representative not being able to carry on a meeting that is not in their native tongue surprised me and was a reminder that issues associated with fixing the Greek debt crisis have very strong cultural implications. In an article I posted on the facebook page about Greece talked about the in-country emotional response of the people. When I think of the problems in the EU I tend to support long term fixes that would greatly affect the culture of Greece and her people. Through these AFIL discussions I am being made more aware of the real importance to fix the problem for the long haul and preserve the unique culture of different nations that make up the complex, yet fascinating EU.