The limits of Europe | 64 comments (64 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Practical questions (none / 0)

That problem already exists and won't change if Turkey joins. It would change (Bulgarian and Greek borders fall away as part of the second barrier) if Turkey were to join Schengen (the open-borders treaty). Given how long Britain opted out of Schengen and still doesn't plan to join, this is not a close prospect. As for the long term, I don't see why it could be impossible to increase border security.
(a) that provision will be dropped, (2) Turkey stay out of the Euro like Britain, Sweden and Denmark.
Same as 1). BTW, the heroin coming from Turkey is not coming from Turkey - it is coming from Afghanistan (where the US fails to put in place any meaningful plan to curb production, letting allied warlords finance themselves with it).
Yes, the CAP would change. But Turkey's joining is way beyond even 2013, when the current new EU members - old members balance will set in, so working out the details is not an issue for today (i.e. the economies of all countries you list will transform significantly in the meantime).
There are 21 languages in use. Interpreters aren't paid to sit around. As for working languages in informal meetings, I don't think German will replace French, and even less that Turkish will come along. This is not a function of how many citizens a country has, but how many other countries speak the language. French is official language in three EU members plus Switzerland, German is official language in four members and Switzerland, plus perhaps the most spoken second language here in Central-Eastern Europe (English may take over, but mostly in the younger generation). Turkish is only official in two future EU members, plus spoken by large minorities (that may enough for a few representatives in the EU) in maybe three others. But, either way: I don't see how this language issue is a "problem". (Except you are trying to troll some Frenchmen here.)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Tue Jul 5th, 2005 at 10:38:23 AM EST
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