Why did each country join the european union?

Question

I know it started with coal and economic industry consolidation but what happened from there?

Answer 1

it began with good intentions with the need to rebuild post-WWII Europe , and there was implicit understanding of the need to create a mutual interdependency.
The original six all joined following this logic. UK Ireland Denmark to access the market and then the poorer countries like Greece , Spain and Portugal all have benefited from the funding provided for infrastructure (as has Ireland) etc. Then Sweden Finland because again they saw it as a disadvantage to be outside -and the former Eastern Bloc states see as a part of their acceptance in to the western club and of course to also get funding for development .

some the latter particularly Romania and Bulgaria are controversial and some believe that they hardly qualify as proper democracies. and in many respects are simply too underdeveloped.

at this point it is probably easier to ask why those haven't joined?
generally it is important to remember the relatively small population size of the average EU country and how difficult it would be for most to survive outside such an massive trade trade bloc. the most notable exceptions include Norway which is rich from North Sea oil and Switzerland which has all those banks..

there is a 'boiled frog' aspect to the way the EU was foisted upon the people . A lot of deception has been used coaxing and, sometimes, outright lies.
It is worth remembering for example that when the UK Ireland and Denmark joined it was called the EEC (European Economic Community) and there was far fewer laws made outside of the countries- but since then, Brussels has been swallowing up more and more National sovereignty - something the average European has never been warned about -even in countries in which referendums had to carried out to ratify the EU treaties.

Answer 2

It's like NATO or the Axis or the UN or whatever - a gang for nations. Mutual protection, pick on other countries outside the gang, haze new countries that want to get in, that sorta thing.

Answer 3

I don't know about the other countries, but I have a sneaking suspicion Germany sees it as a more subtle way to try, once again, to take over Europe.
;)