Brexit: UK must abandon 'fairy tale' ideas, says Germany's Europe minister

[Radaney]

Sounds like you're advocating for Britain to commit hostile actions against the EU.

Britains foreign policy for over a 100 years has been to be hostile to EU interests.

Britain more than any other country in the area that is.

[ati87]

I believe that some cultures can live in peace. I also believe that certain cultures just don't mix (just look at history- some of the very same conflicts are playing out over 100's of years- they didn't mix before we had cell phones and they still don't mix now).

That is not a judgement on any culture or person. Some things just don't mix. It doesn't mean one is good and the other bad or anything- they just don't work together.

Assholes are asshole it has nothing to do with culture because if culture was any problem we wouldn't have the EU to begin with

British don't get along with the french
French don't get along with anybody, including the French
Germany started WW2, can't imagine anybody liking them (from the PoV of a 1946 avg citizen)
The two different groups in Belgium can't get along together

In Netherlands we have idiots like Wilders and his voters calling for a new kind of EU which would only be a private party for Western Europe (so excluding east, central, south) but with the whole ''culture'' argument that wouldn't work (since nobody likes each other)

In other words the whole culture thing is bullshit, most people from different cultures do get along it's just that people that aren't getting along are projecting their own hatred onto others.

[Mayhem]

What can i say, its a total shitshow. Just because putins russia is a bigger evil than the eu doesnt make me pro eu. Yet at the eame time i want a eu, just a better one, encompassing central europe.. Where theres shared cultural values and prosperity. And you know with competent leadership and about 1/5th of the eps, not chosen based on nationality but on proficiency, not with a shadow council but with a representative parliament, like all our nations have.

No but isn't it a bit weird that the people who are actively trying to destroy the EU or get their countries out are all in bed with putin/russia? I mean, be critical of the EU, you should be, but don't outright buy without asking what "nationalists" are selling you. Also the parliament is representative, what shadow council are you talking about?

I can see how the current path speeds up the development of the lesser developped members but the truth is that well never see dividends in our lifetime, or (if you want to be less selfish) that were really speeding it up (the fact these countries cant devaluate their currency is devastating, just look at greece).

Currency devaluation isn't the be all end all solution even less so for a net import country. It can work for countries that export a lot or have vast natural resources. It wouldn't really have helped greece much if (big IF) at all.

[Rennadrel]

Germans aren't in any position to talk about fairly tales. How's that integration going Germany?

[Slant]

Yep, when substance fails you you go into an emotional rant. See here the downfall of political corectness, morally enlightend as long as you agree with them. Cant let a little thing like reality get in the way pal, amirite?

Itd be amusing if the step of lefties after indignified wasnt violence. Hope that eu approved banana tasted well, maybe you can distribute the wrongly curved ones between the unpriviledged later tonight

It's not an emotional rant. You're a racist, it's as simple as that. Your posts are comedy gold as they are, but I felt I needed to give you a chance and let you know how you come across. I am very much in touch with reality, this is why I'm posting here as I am.

Btw, I'm not leftist. I know, you don't have a clue what I'm talking about and you just wanted to insult me, but again, I felt the need to give you a chance and correct your perception. Alas, anything short of Hitleresque rhetoric is leftist to your little dream world, thus it'll be wasted again. Go on, make some irrelevant remark, it'll impress me I'm sure.

My banana wasn't straight. It had a nice banana-like curve top to bottom, not a straight thing on it. But, I get it, you've yet to start shopping groceries for yourself so you don't know what bananas actually look like. It's not a big deal...

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ah surely it's not eloquently worded, but russia is openly attempting to destabilize western democracies .. horde might not be the word but after their takeover of krimea I understand how the balkan nations are sleeping with one eye open.

Yes, and we should retaliate against the Russian Government as fiercely as we can. However, Russia (!) plays no role in the immigration discussion as Russia (!) is not an immigration problem. Russian people are not immigrating into the EU en masse. And Russia it getting sanctioned the fuck out of by the EU, which is a good thing. As for Turkey, here in the real world we have the problem that Turkey is a punk ass dictatorship not unlike the proto-nazi state of Germany. Yet, they are a strategically important member of NATO. How do you tell Turkey to fuck off without telling them to fuck off so much that they turn into an extremist terrorist state like Afghanistan or the area occupied by IS? Just a reminder from the real world to you, they do actually have one of the largest standing armies in the world...

And so on and so forth... it's so frustrating how shortsighted racists are.

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What can i say, its a total shitshow. Just because putins russia is a bigger evil than the eu doesnt make me pro eu. Yet at the eame time i want a eu, just a better one, encompassing central europe.. Where theres shared cultural values and prosperity. And you know with competent leadership and about 1/5th of the eps, not chosen based on nationality but on proficiency, not with a shadow council but with a representative parliament, like all our nations have.

I can see how the current path speeds up the development of the lesser developped members but the truth is that well never see dividends in our lifetime, or (if you want to be less selfish) that were really speeding it up (the fact these countries cant devaluate their currency is devastating, just look at greece).

The problem with the polarising nature of pro/anti eu is that actual desirable solutions (imo atleast). Are lost in rhetoric and shouting. And brcause of the inherent threat of demonisation only excesses dare speak against the eu (which in some regards is more akin to a politicians heaven farm) a place where the well behaved(read pro eu politicians) politicians go after their national political life is through to merrily live forever after.

Ah, seems Mayhem has calmed you down properly. As for the EU... it's hard to do the necessary steps when you have to spend your time explaining to people what the virtues of the EU are and that it's miraculously not going to break apart anytime soon. The anti-EU crowd is wasting everyone's time. Mostly, because they are ignorant of what the EU does, how it works, what it does for them in terms of personal freedom and protection from globalisation effects etc. etc. They think EU is pro globalisation, while it's the EU that repeatedly tells the US and US companies to fuck off and abide by our rules in our house.

Also, the EU isn't a pension home for the elderly politicians. One of our next chancellor candidates comes from the EU. You have top notch professionals at the height of their abilities working in and for the EU. Do you have douches and pensioneers at the EU as well? Sure. But tell me, do you have douches and Elderly at your national Government? If your answer is yes, I don't see a problem. Those guys will always be at the fringe of wherever, because that's how things are. Doesn't make the EU any more useless than your national Government.

And being pro-EU is not a sign of weakness. Not at all, the easy route is to hate and destroy. It's much harder to work with what you have and make something of it. If there's one lesson we have learnt from super recent history, it's that the polemics and anti-X guys don't actually have a better plan, no idea what to actually do and always, always fail when someone says "Ok, you won, now you go...". Utter, embarrassing failure. All of them.

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Germans aren't in any position to talk about fairly tales. How's that integration going Germany?

Could be better. Could be worse. We're puzzled as fuck about those Turks voting for Turkish Hitler, but as long as they behave here, we don't give much of a toss it seems.

How's your baby President doing?

[Thunderball]

ah surely it's not eloquently worded, but russia is openly attempting to destabilize western democracies .. horde might not be the word but after their takeover of krimea I understand how the balkan nations are sleeping with one eye open.

How exactly? By trying to stop the war in Syria (which will after Middle Asia and Russia too eventually if ISIS isnt contained to Syria and Iraq) or maybe warning how would taking in so many immigrants would turn out (which, again, affects Russia aswell)? And would you prefer thousands of people dying in Crimea if Russia ignored the situation and Ukraine did the same thing they did with Donbass?

Heres some charts and a video on why I use the word 'horde' , again not politically correct, but troubling nevertheless. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911 http://www.euronews.com/2017/02/17/h...clave-of-ceuta

Europe is enabling this situation themselves, by not taking a firm stance against Turkey and not denying immigrant access to the EU. What you're guys doing instead is paying Turkey to accomodate immigrants and provide them with means to choose which country they want to stay in. Futhermore, Europe doesnt want to acknowledge that most people who are coming in are not running from war is Syria or Iraq: Syria has been in war for 5 years, Iraq for 14, so everyone who wanted to run had already left.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/...ling-migration
http://www.politico.eu/article/eu-ap...ent-to-turkey/

[Deleted]

Germans aren't in any position to talk about fairly tales. How's that integration going Germany?

Good. Sky isnt falling down, like expected. Inflation is low, wages increased, employment rate is very low.

Like every western country, there are problems. But actually looking at all the chaosvin the world, i think we are very lucky.

Actually WW2 made a lot of people think about what peace means and what role we want to play. At least for now, a Trump, Le Pen or May is currently impossible and thats nice. Politically we will prob see more of the same for the next 4 years.

Even the far right/left is pretty weak (both about 8%). Nothing dramatical.

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I would really recommend coming to germany and see for yourself. I have heard that Fox News and consorts try to show a different picture, but for people living here, nothing changed. There might be small regions with problems.

But then again. For 99% in germany, nothing changed exvept for "i saw in TV" or "i read on facebook".

[Noradin]

Germans aren't in any position to talk about fairly tales. How's that integration going Germany?

Fun fact: He didn't. He called it a "myth", which is the correct translation of the word he used in German, too, in this context.

[dribbles]

Anyone know what the drunken Juncker said today? Maybe he has been on the cognac already and is speaking gibberish as usual but 97% of the world can't understand a word of the strange language he is using...

[Kalis]

In May's paranoid rant she named no one, just a flailing swipe at unnamed europeans. Fuck, her paranoia is so out of control she believes the continental press have no right to share their view on brexit.

"Strong and steady"? Paranoid loony-tunes more like.

You realise Juncker briefed the German press on details from a private meeting, don't you? She did not need to name the people involved, as there were only a limited number of people that could have done it, i.e. the ones at the meeting.

Either Juncker briefed the German press, or May rang them and did a Juncker impression so convincing they thought it was him.

[Mayhem]

You realise Juncker briefed the German press on details from a private meeting, don't you? She did not need to name the people involved, as there were only a limited number of people that could have done it, i.e. the ones at the meeting.

Either Juncker briefed the German press, or May rang them and did a Juncker impression so convincing they thought it was him.

What about it was private?

[Kalis]

What about it was private?

Do you know what a leaked report is?

[Mayhem]

Do you know what a leaked report is?

Wait, juncker briefed the press with a leaked report?

[Tinch]

What about it was private?

The fact that it was 'leaked' to the German press by an EU source that didn't want to be named would suggest they knew full well that it wasn't intended to be a public meeting.

[Kalis]

Wait, juncker briefed the press with a leaked report?

Once again, do you know what a leaked report is?

[Mayhem]

Once again, do you know what a leaked report is?

You said juncker briefed the press.

Also are we now up in arms that details came out about a meeting between prominent politicians discussing international politics? Strange new world.

[Kalis]

You said juncker briefed the press.

Do you think May briefed the German press with an article that tried to paint her in a bad light? If not, then where do you think it came from?

Also are we now up in arms that details came out about a meeting between prominent politicians discussing international politics? Strange new world.

You do not release details of a private meeting unless both sides agree to it. That is not a new concept, other than to you apparently.

I presume you will criticise Juncker for not making every detail of the EU negotiating tactics full public, after all they will be discussed at private meetings between prominent politicians discussing international politics. He has not done so and therefore, in your eyes, the EU is in the wrong.

[Mayhem]

Do you think May briefed the German press with an article that tried to paint her in a bad light? If not, then where do you think it came from?



You do not release details of a private meeting unless both sides agree to it. That is not a new concept, other than to you apparently.

I presume you will criticise Juncker for not making every detail of the EU negotiating tactics full public, after all they will be discussed at private meetings between prominent politicians discussing international politics. He has not done so and therefore, in your eyes, the EU is in the wrong.

Right in the article the position is that everything should be made available. So yes i will criticise juncker if not everything will be released.

[Kalis]

Right in the article the position is that everything should be made available. So yes i will criticise juncker if not everything will be released.

You would want Juncker to damage the EU negotiating position by releasing details of their strategy? I would suggest that is a dreadful idea from an EU point of view, and that you should not expect the UK to reciprocate.

A word of advice, if you ever have to negotiate a contract, do not do what you are suggesting here.

[Mayhem]

You would want Juncker to damage the EU negotiating position by releasing details of their strategy? I would suggest that is a dreadful idea from an EU point of view, and that you should not expect the UK to reciprocate.

A word of advice, if you ever have to negotiate a contract, do not do what you are suggesting here.

Uhm, that's not even my position but that of the commission.

"May wanted to work through the Brexit talks in monthly, 4-day blocks; all confidential until the end of the process. Commission said impossible to reconcile this with need to square off member states & European Parliament, so documents must be published."

Sadly you are in no position to lecture someone or give out advices as you came, not unsurprisingly, unprepared to this discussion.