United States of Europe

[Kalis]

As long as Swedish is one of the official languages, then people have the right to be served in it, if the person can only speak Swedish. It's not that difficult for a store for example to have one person who can barely speak it, and that would be enough for any rare usage of it. There's a fair argument against it being official in the first place, but as long as it is, those who only speak Swedish should have someone be able to serve them. That's the reason all products have both translations in the first place.

Usually it's not a problem anyway, as the customer speaking Swedish can speak either Finnish or English too.

That is not how the official languages work here, or in Cyprus, you only have to provide services in at least one of them, not all. Here it is either English or Maltese, in Cyprus it was Greek, Turkish or English.

That is how it generally works.

[Vargur]

What if the EU was dissolved and a new government was created similar to the United States? One that united all of Europe under a single governmental umbrella with a single goal. Your citizenship would be toward this U.S.E. and not your current "state". Europe would have one military, one government, one border, etc...

European Federalists on Reddit

[RobertMugabe]

What if the EU was dissolved and a new government was created similar to the United States? One that united all of Europe under a single governmental umbrella with a single goal. Your citizenship would be toward this U.S.E. and not your current "state". Europe would have one military, one government, one border, etc...

That's where the EU is going anyways. One border (already in place), one government (already in place), one military (currently negotiating)

[Deleted]

That is not how the official languages work here, or in Cyprus, you only have to provide services in at least one of them, not all. Here it is either English or Maltese, in Cyprus it was Greek, Turkish or English.

That is how it generally works.

In sweden you have a right to get service in finnish, jiddisch, romani chib, meänkieli and sami if you speak any of those languages, when interacting with authorities or some public service. Doesn't apply for private business here. We only have swedish as an official language.

[Puupi]

As long as Swedish is one of the official languages, then people have the right to be served in it, if the person can only speak Swedish. It's not that difficult for a store for example to have one person who can barely speak it, and that would be enough for any rare usage of it. There's a fair argument against it being official in the first place, but as long as it is, those who only speak Swedish should have someone be able to serve them. That's the reason all products have both translations in the first place.

Usually it's not a problem anyway, as the customer speaking Swedish can speak either Finnish or English too.

Swedish language and the Finnish Swedish minority are unique in the world I believe. No other minority has such strong rights and privileges in the world.

You really can't compare them to other countries and their minorities.

[Deleted]

As long as Swedish is one of the official languages, then people have the right to be served in it, if the person can only speak Swedish. It's not that difficult for a store for example to have one person who can barely speak it, and that would be enough for any rare usage of it. There's a fair argument against it being official in the first place, but as long as it is, those who only speak Swedish should have someone be able to serve them. That's the reason all products have both translations in the first place.

Usually it's not a problem anyway, as the customer speaking Swedish can speak either Finnish or English too.

Was weird as fuck to be in finland in some swedish speaking part. Like, they speak some kind of Swedish but it doesn't sound swedish.

[Kalis]

In sweden you have a right to get service in finnish, jiddisch, romani chib, meänkieli and sami if you speak any of those languages, when interacting with authorities or some public service. Doesn't apply for private business here. We only have swedish as an official language.

In Malta and Cyprus, the two/three official languages are available for public services, though good luck finding a Turkish speaker in Cyprus. Any combination of the others is for private business use, plus Russian due to the large Russian community.

In the UK, I think Welsh is the closest we have to an official language, but only in Wales. Public services are available in English plus a host of foreign languages, typically English is used in private business.

[Allybeboba]

That's where the EU is going anyways. One border (already in place), one government (already in place), one military (currently negotiating)

But individual countries still exist within the EU as it exist now. This "what if" scenario would do away with that.

[edw]

Europe will never be united like that because of nationalism, this is the achilles heel of EU. No nation will give up it sovereignty so if EU dissolve the counties of Europe will do what they did for hundreds of years ... beat the crap out of each other.

[Allybeboba]

Europe will never be united like that because of nationalism, this is the achilles heel of EU. No nation will give up it sovereignty so if EU dissolve the counties of Europe will do what they did for hundreds of years ... beat the crap out of each other.

I was under the impression that many Europeans were against nationalism and against being patriotic.

[Allybeboba]

That's one way of looking at it. The other way is that Europe has created so many labor laws, they're productivity is shit compared to other 1st world nations. You'd be hard pressed to name world class businesses in Europe that adhere to the absurd limitations on labor within Europe. Your senior leaders and anyone making over 100k a year isn't working less than 40 hours a week and unplugging a month during the year. There's a big push in European corporations to bring in American Ex Pats because the idea of an American taking off the entire month of July like they do in Denmark would be absurd.

Yea, it's great for the worker. But productivity suffers immensely.

How does anything ever get done?

[Kalis]

I was under the impression that many Europeans were against nationalism and against being patriotic.

Many are, many are not.

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I understood every word except " trystit"

I guess that comes from tryst, which is a romantic meeting, but not used very often nowadays. It seems to mean engaged/betrothed.

Bairn is the other one I thought some people might not get, it being Northern English/Scottish slang for a child.

That is supposed to be a different language to English

[Tyrianth]

Then there's no reason to keep official languages, if people cannot be served in them, but be practically told "we don't serve your kind here, go to some other zone". Official means nationwide.

You think that because you are ignorant of the historical and cultural significance behind the reasoning for multiple official languages in various countries.

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A royal FUCK NO! to that.

Europe is a continent with countries and cultures that were around before the states of America were even an idea of a sperm in someone's ballsack, "reforming" us under one leader would PROBABLY lead us down the same path as the US, which is not something I'd be OK with.

And who decides what language we speak? The country with the most citizens?

Chances are a unified Europe would not lead down the same road as the US. The US is in it's current position due to it's fucked up implementation of FPTP. Most of (all of it maybe?) uses some form of proportional representation that would prevent thr two party "us vs them" political system that the US has.

I would expect a European Federation would be very similar to the original American federation. Difference is that it would probably be successful.

[Mayhem]

Lasy baztards, al thay hav dun iz chanje wun lettar en eech worrd.

Oh you speak dutch?

[Allybeboba]

Oh you speak dutch?

Freaky Deeky Dutch?

[Tackhisis]

What if the EU was dissolved and a new government was created similar to the United States?

It is impossible, as Europe is too multicultural, too multilingual and there is huge disparity between EU members.

[Tyrianth]

It is impossible, as Europe is too multicultural, too multilingual and there is huge disparity between EU members.

Honestly, I wouldn't say it's impossible. The EU is already somewhere between a confederation and a federation. All it would take is the current system plus a unified military. Maybe adjust how MEPs are elected.

You already have a standard currency, free travel between member states, partially unified economic and labour laws.

Foreign policy would have to be migrated to EU control as well, not sure how that would fit into the current system.

[Docturphil]

I don't know who "we" is.

I know the US has more Spanish speakers than Spain.

You sure about that? The population of Spain is ~47 million.

[Holofernes]

the austrian emporer heir franz ferdinand (the guy who`s assasination startet World War I) had written book over a United States of Great-Austria, where every nation has a own state with own government for interiours, but they stay united under one government for War, finance and infrastructure. (half the balkan, most of central and Easter Europe, Nothern Italy). Basically the Idea was to reform the Austrian Empire into a commonwealth of nations, with the United States as a role model. But the guy was murdered by some slavic nationalist guy, and after the war the empire broke loose. But in its idea it would have been pretty similar to what the EU is now, minus france and spain (and GB if u count them).

[Sting]

How about hell no. The northern countries already carry the southern and eastern parts economically. Less EU, not more.