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| Europe |
| Hungarians Vote on EU Membership |
| 2003-04-12 |
| With few illusions about immediate advantages but hoping future generations will benefit, Hungarians on Saturday were expected to approve their country's membership in the European Union. The referendum is valid if at least 50 percent of the 8 million eligible voters participate, or if either side gets at least 2 million ballots. The result is binding. In the latest poll, 78 percent of likely voters said they would vote yes to membership. The Gallup poll, performed March 7 to 12, surveyed 989 Hungarian adults and had a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points. When Hungary became a democracy in 1990 - after more than 40 years of communism - many saw EU membership as a panacea that could help right historic wrongs and improve living standards. But the long wait has dampened the enthusiasm. The government campaigned intensely for membership and will have spent $23 million promoting the EU by the expected May 2004 accession date. But opposition groups complained that citizens were not told about the potential drawbacks to membership. Far be it for me as an American to tell the Hungarians how to vote, but do they recall Mr. Chiraq's recent statements about how they're supposed to behave? |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #7 What I meant is more "things", from land to small businesses, in Eastern Europe will be owned by Western Europeans, simply because it's still possible to do so without a huge bank loan. As the standard of living improves further (although it is already high if not on par), more westerners will move east. Case in point: western Poland (try and figure out where the "border" is nowadays). |
| Posted by: RW 2003-04-12 15:00:29 |
| #6 Heck, everybody should join the EU -- it will help dilute the weasels! As for fertility in freefall: no problem -- they can just keep importing more Turks to keep their numbers up. [Heads up, Murat: possible job openings!] |
| Posted by: Tom 2003-04-12 14:41:57 |
| #5 RW, not sure what you mean by "western europe is geting crowded". Fertility in the current EU states is in freefall, with imminent economic dire consequences(TM). Politicians in the East are highly motivated for EU entry as the average EU ambassarod/hack's salary is about 10x greater than their current remuneration. The EU would be vastly improved if its rotten core was excised. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2003-04-12 14:28:33 |
| #4 Yeah but as of now, that's very few of them. Most of New Europe wants to join. And the reason is: there will now be 2 times in history where people with the foresight and a little bit of money, can become super rich. The first was when Communism collapsed. The second will be when they join the EU. How's this for an investment: you could have bought land (which was mostly stolen by ex-Communists) or a factory in 1990 for $10,000 and ten years later it's worth $1,000,000. The folks who have a lot to gain are pushing hard for EU membership, to the point of telling people extraordinary things (such as if you become an EU citizen, you can travel to the US without a visa). The ones not fooled are voting yes in hopes of being able to find work in the west. Western Europe is getting crowded, they need to expand, so they have to move east. This will change Eastern Europe, whether for the better remains to be seen. |
| Posted by: RW 2003-04-12 14:02:19 |
| #3 There is talk about forming a NAFTA, like free trade association between the US, England, and European nations (The "New Europe,") who would not be partners in the European Union. A free trade zone with the US might be attractive to those European nations leery about turning their national soveranty over to the beaurocrats of Brussles. |
| Posted by: C F B Lagoon 2003-04-12 11:43:26 |
| #2 citizens were not told about the potential drawbacks to membership. That's the understatement of the month. Once they see how decisions are made in Brussels they will get a sick feeling in their stomachs, literally. Goodbye good old-fashioned agriculture, hello chemically infested food products. |
| Posted by: RW 2003-04-12 05:53:20 |
| #1 Perhaps Mr. Chiraq's recent statements are the cause for dampened enthusiasm. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-04-12 05:06:06 |