Was there a huge opposition when the European Union was being created?

Question

I know so many people who are strongly against the NAU... I know there have been opposing views to certain countries joining the EU, but was there a large public outcry to it when the idea was first posed?

What has been good about the existence of the EU and what has been not so good about it?

Answer 1

Of course. The EU attempts to consolidate the trade patterns of a very different set of cultures, products and ppl- not to mention the psychological effect of being lumped in with your neighbors (many of whom have had historic differences going back hundreds of years).

The EU is europe's answer to the emerging idea of "trade blocs" that grouped closely bordered nations with symbiotic trade in the '90s and later, like Canada, America and MX under NAFTA, or ASEAN for the SE Asian countries, or even the very old Commonwealth system for ex-British colonies. The formation of the EU was in particular response to NAFTA, which Europe feared would devastate European exports to the US.

EU serves many useful purposes:

1. standardization of currency. No middleman costs associated with money exchange between close neighbors.

2. free movement of labor. Brings vastly superior market efficiency to labor sourcing in close areas.

3. free movement of goods. No tariffs or trade barriers that just add costs to "exports" and "imports".

4. sheer mass. EU confers the heft of increased GDP size to compete against other countries for volume of production. Think of it as the political "Walmart" effect. Larger volume = cheaper prices.

There's really no downside to the EU except maybe losing some history with local currencies like the Franc or the Lira, and the unnerving idea that your beret-wearing enemy is competing for your neighbor's business for the wooden shoes market. Also, it does make it a little harder to enforce protectionist policies in case ur people want domestic goods for domestic people (ie like the UAW or other unions)

Answer 2

OK I'm an European with my relatives living in Spain as part of the lousy EU. You want to talk about benefits? It depends at what country you talk to. France was one of the biggest beneficiaries of that idiotic union. Even their biggest contribution (wine), is now imported mostly from Spain and bottled under their own labels. The change in the cost of living suffer tremendously. It was a large public outcry that was not heard by the mostly socialist countries. To this day I don't know of one Spaniard that agreed with such an injustice

Answer 3

I've talked to people from there online. Brits especially opposed it. They don't seem to get as much from it. And they had to change all their measurements to the metric system and pounds to Euros or something like that. I think if they had been allowed to operate as separate countries with their own ways of doing things within the union it wouldn't have been so bad. But they had to change money, measurement and so on. That's no biggy for kids in school. But it becomes more and more difficult the older you get.

Answer 4

Not really.. but it wasn't just created.. it evolved from lesser entities into what it is today... I can't remember off hand if it was energy or railroad or coal or what the driving force was for the original trade agreement that it has all ballooned from... but I do know it evolved over about 20 years into something closer to what you see today.

Answer 5

This is an excellent question that I've never considered asking. I'm glad that you did because I look forward to reading some good, honest responses.

Answer 6

Huge. It ruined the lucrative duty free business for many. Britons are still mad as hell about it and I believe the French refuse to even use the tunnel.

Answer 7

I think there was quite a bit of haggling and as the Begonia points out there are always winners and losers in any financial arrangement.

Answer 8

There is a cool link that tells 10 good things the EU has done for us.
1.EASY TRAVEL
2.LIVING ABROAD
3.EQUAL PAY & NON-DISCRIMINATION
4.PAID LEAVE
5.FOREIGN STUDY
6.CHEAP FLIGHTS
7.CHEAP TELEPHONE CALLS
8.CONSUMER PROTECTION
9.FOOD LABELLING
10. CLEAN RIVERS AND CLEAN AIR

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6455879.stm

Answer 9

I have no idea, but there probably was, most people dont like huge change.