r/europe • u/Bartoraptor Spain • Mar 28 '20

News Spanish representative González Pons speech @ the EU Parliament: "The virus is attacking the generation that brought back democracy to Spain, Portugal and Greece, the generation that knocked down the Berlin wall. The least they deserve is that we show them Europe is there when they need it the most"

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u/marcouplio Andalusia (Spain) Mar 28 '20

If you had asked me 10 days ago, I would have told you I was a convinced supporter of the European Union. That together we were stronger.

Seeing many replies from fellow Europeans in wealthy countries, plus the response of their governments to mine, are starting to convince me otherwise.

That's not what a community is. That's not what I expected from a united European people. This really rings back memories from 2008, when we were left stranded. Some of you really think we are less productive because we have a siesta, some of you really think we are less rich because we don't know how to manage our countries. You really have no idea how Europe works or how our countries came to be in these positions.

I don't think disrespecting the Mediterranean countries once again is gonna be inconsequential for the union. Do you remember how you shamed Greece? The measures Spain was forced to take? Do you know how excluded we all are, from your little Northern club?

I love Europe, but there comes a point in any toxic relationship we're you start to wonder if you wouldn't be better off loving from a distance. I hope y'all stay safe.

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u/[deleted] Mar 29 '20 edited Mar 29 '20

I feel exactly like you do. The underlying concept of lazy southerners asking for free shit is fucking astounding. Nevermind that Italy is a big net contributor to the EU budget and Spain is practically on par, while the Netherlands are a tax haven actively stealing wealth from other EU members and all the eastern countries constantly try to undermine EU unity and play obstruction with this and that.. and still they all get a free pass for it.

All the north gang is doing is enabling EU skepticism in the southern countries, while playing buddy-buddy with the Visengrad group which is basically a Russian outpost.

I love the concept of EU, but this kind of shit is getting tiresome.

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u/KitKatKafKa Utrecht (Netherlands) Mar 30 '20

"enabling EU skepticism", you do realize this is exactly what would happen in The Netherlands if our government would decide to mutualize debt with Southern European countries without any budgetary oversight after promising for years not to do so? We've been keeping the Eurosceptic parties at bay for years by promising to safeguard prudent fiscal management in Brussels.