[Portugal] Election

[Martim Silva]

Needs a thread. Minority government about to fall. Election campaign soon. Getting EU/IMF bailout before the week is over.

[MadImmortalMan]

Needs a thread. Minority government about to fall. Election campaign soon. Getting EU/IMF bailout before the week is over.

BUT WE DONT NEED IT!!!!!!11111


Like anybody ever bought that. 

[MadImmortalMan]

Socrates has resigned.

[Admiral Yi]

[Neil]

The expansion of the EU turns out to have been a disaster.

[dps]

The EU turns out to have been a disaster.

fyp

[Neil]

The EU turns out to have been a disaster.

fyp

I'm not sure that's true.  The original set have done alright, and even if you add the UK, you're alright.  It's just when you started adding barbarian countries that you get into trouble.

[Duque de Bragança]

Socrates has resigned.

A good step, but the next Prime Minister won't have it easy.

[Martim Silva]

The expansion of the EU turns out to have been a disaster.

Not really. These countries HAD to come to the fold if Europe was ever to emerge as a world power, so we just have to deal with it.

And the crisis gives us an unrivalled opportunity to deal with unbalances in the Eurozone. Cash-strapped states, once reluctant in giving away more sovereignty, now realize that they have no choice but to accept common European Governance standards, effectively surrendering control over their budgets to Paris and Berlin.

Now, these populations cannot become Germans, but they CAN be better ruled, with far less corruption - and Germany can help a lot here, through the new rules and a close oversight of their national budgets.

This is a great first step on the road to a Federal Europe, and will allow for balanced budgest all across the continent, over which sustainable growth can be achieved.

But ultimately, the solution to everything lies with the USA. If America can solve its problems, all that we are doing can be achieved. If Washington fails - and so far it isn't doing much of anything to solve the crisis - then all of Europe's efforts will be in vain and we will all go bust.

[Caliga]

Now, these populations cannot become Germans

[Iormlund]

While I agree the bailouts are a great opportunity, they are being used to force austerity plans that will shrink economies and be easily reversed, instead of structural reforms that lead in the future to stronger PIGS (and thus more demand for German goods like high-end cars or manufacturing equipment).

[Legbiter]

Getting EU/IMF bailout before the week is over.

Great that means Spain is next. And after Spain, Italy.

[clandestino]

Great that means Spain is next. And after Spain, Italy.

I agree that Spain is next. But what about Belgium or the UK? It seems they aren't in good shape as well.