EU Commissioner: Brexit to blow hole in EU budget

[ati87]

Actions speak louder than words. Germany hasn't even met its NATO commitment for its own armed forces, never mind funding an EU one.

Because that whatever percentage of GDP is stupid?

While we are at it

The whole EU army is bulllshit conclusion that comes from right-wingers. Somebody from the EU talks about brining the defence spending closer in terms of equipment so we don't have 100 different types of equipment across all countries and the ''natural'' conclusion must be then''EU Army''.

Here is the difference between the EU and the US, may be more bureaucratic compared to the US but our leaders aren't half batshit crazy like the ones in the US who's only job in live is to find reasons to spend money on ''defence''

[Deleted]

Could easily plug that gap. if the EU stopped giving Eastern Europe such massive handouts and bowing to their every wish.

The Uk contributes 10.8 billion in total to the EU as a net payer
Poland on the other hand is a net receiver, receiving 9.4 billion from the EU. Not including the various other handouts.

Yet Poland is not helping Western Europe. It demands the right to tell the French, who they can sell Helicopter Carriers to or who the Germans can build a pipeline with. They vote for a Refugee Quota and then lie their way out. They do not care if some British Worker loses his Factory Job to a Polish immigrant.
The rest of the V4 is not any better.

[Wikiy]

Could easily plug that gap. if the EU stopped giving Eastern Europe such massive handouts and bowing to their every wish.

Your very usage of the term "Eastern Europe" to refer to these countries says plenty about how knowledgeable you are.

These countries have no special wishes other than to become more developed. The EU has an agenda, and that's to equalize the level of development between the various countries in the EU, specifically by helping less developed countries become more developed. This isn't the only reason why these countries should be the aim of EU funds, an additional reason is because an equal amount of money can do much, much more in countries where salaries and costs are lower. The EU gains several times as much back by investing into less developed countries of the EU than investing into more developed ones.

Which doesn't mean they don't do it, by the way. The EU doesn't just hand out its money to member states. The development funds are aimed at very specific investments that will result in long-term gain for the EU as a whole. This is why these sorts of investments happen in developed countries as well. But yes, less developed ones are net receivers, and this is in the interest of the net donors, because already developed countries benefit more from their neighbours and trade partners being more developed and having a higher GDP.

Yet Poland is not helping Western Europe. It demands the right to tell the French, who they can sell Helicopter Carriers to or who the Germans can build a pipeline with. They vote for a Refugee Quota and then lie their way out.

They do not demand any right, they were given this very right by the setup of the Union. This is like attacking Texas for having any say in who California trades with through their parent structure that is the US.

They do not care if some British Worker loses his Factory Job to a Polish immigrant.

Oh, poor those Brits who hate Poles who are fired by their Brit employers who hate Poles in favour of Poles because of a decree from Bruxelles...

Like, what the fuck did you smoke today? How have you people bought into these empty arguments? This is some pre-WWII Nazi-like level brainwashing of the general populace that can result in people spewing so much senseless shit.

[Rockyreg]

I repeat. 10 billion dollars is probably an insignificant amount even in terms of toilet paper business, let alone a whole EU.

I agree it is an insignificant amount in the grand scheme of things. The trouble is, as you see every time when the EU budget comes to be negotiated you see gridlock with member states squabbling over an even more insignificant amount of money. What makes you think it will be any different if they have to fill a gap left by the UK?

Although as has been said above its probably a moot point as its very unlikely the UK won't be paying for access to the single market in the future.

[Wikiy]

I agree it is an insignificant amount in the grand scheme of things. The trouble is, as you see every time when the EU budget comes to be negotiated you see gridlock with member states squabbling over an even more insignificant amount of money. What makes you think it will be any different if they have to fill a gap left by the UK?

I think it will be different due to the very simple reason that all EU member states are aware that this financial hole will exist and do not blame the EU for it, they only blame the UK. The current mutual disdain for the UK, as well as the renewed faith in the EU (or at least, the renewed faith that the EU should be reformed into something better, but under no circumstances be allowed to fall apart) is what will prevent the states from bickering about this. In the worst case scenario that this sort of bickering does occur, France and Germany would probably intervene and agree to pay the 10 billion if no other resolution seems obvious.

[Rockyreg]

I think it will be different due to the very simple reason that all EU member states are aware that this financial hole will exist and do not blame the EU for it, they only blame the UK. The current mutual disdain for the UK, as well as the renewed faith in the EU (or at least, the renewed faith that the EU should be reformed into something better, but under no circumstances be allowed to fall apart) is what will prevent the states from bickering about this. In the worst case scenario that this sort of bickering does occur, France and Germany would probably intervene and agree to pay the 10 billion if no other resolution seems obvious.

I find it very interesting that they are all for 'reforming' now. I don't think its a given that Germany or France will intervene, politically it would be very difficult for Germany to do so as their citizens already feel like the 'cash cow' of the EU. We shall see regarding the bickering over money, old habits die hard as they say.

Of course, like I said I think its unlikely they will lose money as I'm pretty sure the UK will be making ongoing payments to the EU in the future.

[haxartus]

Could easily plug that gap. if the EU stopped giving Eastern Europe such massive handouts and bowing to their every wish.

The EU in Eastern Europe is not giving away "free money". It's promoting economic development. They are investing in businesses that they think are needed in the country, in infrastructure and in education. They are also pushing for reforms, for example if they think some government system is too inefficient.

This works as the growth rate of Eastern Europe is fairly good and stable and it attracts foreign investors, which creates more jobs, higher salaries and etc. Also their economies are way mores stable than some Western Europe counterparts (Bulgaria debt to GDP: 26%, Spain - 99.3%, Portugal 129%).