Human Rights Watch Warns of 'Authoritarian Drift' in Turkey

[Admiral Yi]

Romania is actually rather encouraging as it seems to have a rather strong civil movement to reduce government corruption and improve their democracy.

The EU enlargements in 2004 and 2007 included Poland (great economic success, recently relapsed on societal progress), three Baltic states (all good economic development, but demographic collapse), Czechia and Slovakia (both doing well although not too enthusiastic about further integration), Hungary (well...), Slovenia (doing very well economically and I think ok politically), Bulgaria (not so great, corruption), Romania (okayish). Cyprus and Malta were Western states even before, but Cyprus should probably not have been admitted without a solution to the North Cyprus question. That was a mistake.

Greece has been a member since sometime in the 1980s and did fairly well, especially with democracy compared to their earlier military junta, until they joined the Euro - which as we all know was a massive mistake.

You're arguing about the pros and cons of most recent expansion, which is different than my Ottoman Empire = shit thesis.

[alfred russel]

Romania was only arguably a part of the Ottoman conquest.

[FunkMonk]

Turkey should just establish a constitutional monarchy with one of the surviving Osman descendants. Would be cool!!!

[The Minsky Moment]

Would have been nice if Turkey had developed into a secular, liberal republic over the last 15-20 years and then they could have become a member. Alas, they developed in a completely different direction and are now more or less a dictatorship that scorns European values, so there is no value in any further talks with them.

While that's true it absolves the EU side of Sarkozyite asshollery at a time when it looked like things could still go in the right direction in Turkey.

[Valmy]

It seems to me that the Eastern Expansion drove the UK out though.

And here I thought it was due to internal differences in the Tory party that were mismanaged by David Cameron.

I guess I found Tamas' thesis that it came from hatred for Eastern European Immigrants convincing.

[Solmyr]

EDIT: Nah, the eastern expansion of the EU is a huge success despite assclowns like Orban or Kaczynski.

Greece, failure.  Hungary, failure.  Rumania, debatable.

Czechia, inside the limits.

Carolingians never ruled the Czechs!

Also, Baltics and Scandis are fine. And maybe even Spain.

[Admiral Yi]

Carolingians never ruled the Czechs!

Also, Baltics and Scandis are fine. And maybe even Spain.

You didn't read the thread, did you? 

[Valmy]

EDIT: Nah, the eastern expansion of the EU is a huge success despite assclowns like Orban or Kaczynski.

Greece, failure.  Hungary, failure.  Rumania, debatable.

Czechia, inside the limits.

Carolingians never ruled the Czechs!

Also, Baltics and Scandis are fine. And maybe even Spain.

None of those places were OMG can I be: Ottoman Empire though.

[The Minsky Moment]

Carolingians never ruled the Czechs!

Samo - Frankish according to legend - ruled over the Czechs, Moravians, Wends.  But NOT the Avars.

[DontSayBanana]

Is Czechia becoming a thing?

I think I only ever hear Czech Republic in real life.

This sounded fishy, so I asked a friend in the Czech Republic, and this is what she just sent me back:

Well, neither. In Czech is something completely different 😂 But official sources will say Czech republic, Czechia or cesko is a bit problematic because it doesn't include Moravia and Silesia. [emphasis mine] Kind of like the difference between saying England and UK

[Valmy]

Why would Czechia not also refer to Moravia? Weird.

[garbon]

They said they went with Czechia to make it easier on tourism branding.

[DontSayBanana]

They said they went with Czechia to make it easier on tourism branding.

Apparently, it's not particularly popular in the country itself.  Said Czech friend said she and pretty much everyone she knows hates the term.

[Razgovory]

It's hard for an English speaker to say.

[Admiral Yi]

Why would Czechia not also refer to Moravia? Weird.

Because Czechia means Bohemia and Bohemia and Moravia are different, I guess.

How did Bohemia become Czechia, anyone know?  Or alternatively, if Bohemians always called themselves Czechs, where and why did Bohemia come in?