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{{Infobox country|name=European Union|native_name=|image_flag=Flag_of_the_European_Union.svg|population_estimate=447,007,596|population_estimate_year=2022|currency= | {{Infobox country|name=European Union|native_name=|image_flag=Flag_of_the_European_Union.svg|population_estimate=447,007,596|population_estimate_year=2022|currency=Euro (€)|area_km2=4,233,262|image_map=European_Union_map.svg|map_width=290|capital=[[Brussels]] <i>(seat of principal EU institutions)</i><br/>[[Berlin]]<i> (Capital of the leading state, [[Germany]])</i>|largest_city=[[Paris]]|mode_of_production=[[Imperialist]] [[Capitalism]]|government_type=Plutocratic confederation|leader_title1=President of the European Council|leader_name1=Charles Michel|leader_title2=President of the Commission|leader_name2=Ursula von der Leyen| | ||
| established_event1 = [[Treaty of Brussels]] | |||
| established_date1 = 17 March 1948 | |||
| established_event2 = [[Treaty of Paris (1951)|Treaty of Paris]] | |||
| established_date2 = 18 April 1951 | |||
| established_event3 = '''[[Treaty of Rome]]''' | |||
| established_date3 = 1 January 1958 | |||
| established_event4 = [[Single European Act]] | |||
| established_date4 = 1 July 1987 | |||
| established_event5 = <span style=white-space:nowrap;>'''[[Maastricht Treaty|Treaty of Maastricht]]'''</span><!-- NOTE: [[Template:Nowrap]] is ignored on mobile. --> | |||
| established_date5 = 1 November 1993 | |||
| established_event6 = [[Treaty of Lisbon]] | |||
| established_date6 = 1 December 2009}} | |||
The '''European Union''' ('''EU''') is a [[Neoliberalism|neoliberal]] political and economic union of 27 [[Europe|European]] countries established in 1993.<ref>{{Citation|author=Matthew J. Gabel|year=1998|title=European Union|title-url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Union|publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica}}</ref> | The '''European Union''' (abbreviated as the '''EU''') is a [[Neoliberalism|neoliberal]] political and economic union of 27 [[Europe|European]] countries established in 1993.<ref>{{Citation|author=Matthew J. Gabel|year=1998|title=European Union|title-url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Union|publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica}}</ref> Its official currency, not used by all member countries, is the Euro denoted with the € symbol. | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
=== Predecessors === | === Predecessors === | ||
In 1910, [[Gerhard Hildebrand]], an [[Opportunism|opportunist]] and [[Imperialism|imperialist]], proposed a creating a United States of Western Europe that would exclude [[Russian Empire (1721–1917)|Russia]] and organize military actions against [[Qing dynasty (1636–1912)|China]], [[Empire of Japan (1868–1947)|Japan]], [[Africa|African]] [[Anti-colonialism|freedom fighters]], and [[Islam|Islamists]].<ref>{{Citation|author=[[Vladimir Lenin]]|year=1916|title=Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism|chapter=Parasitism and Decay of Capitalism|chapter-url=https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch08.htm|city=[[Moscow]]|publisher=Progress Publishers|mia=https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/index.htm}}</ref> | In 1910, [[Gerhard Hildebrand]], an [[Opportunism|opportunist]] and [[Imperialism|imperialist]], proposed a creating a "United States of Western Europe" that would exclude [[Russian Empire (1721–1917)|Russia]] and organize military actions against [[Qing dynasty (1636–1912)|China]], [[Empire of Japan (1868–1947)|Japan]], [[Africa|African]] [[Anti-colonialism|freedom fighters]], and [[Islam|Islamists]].<ref>{{Citation|author=[[Vladimir Lenin]]|year=1916|title=Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism|chapter=Parasitism and Decay of Capitalism|chapter-url=https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch08.htm|city=[[Moscow]]|publisher=Progress Publishers|mia=https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/index.htm}}</ref> | ||
The [[European Economic Community]], founded in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome, directly preceded the EU. | The [[European Economic Community]], founded in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome, directly preceded the EU.<ref name=":1" /> | ||
=== Founding and expansion === | === Founding and expansion === | ||
The Maastricht Treaty was signed in 1992, shortly after the [[Overthrow of the Soviet Union|dissolution of the Soviet Union]], and came into effect in 1993. During the 1990s and 2000s, the EU expanded into [[Eastern Europe]]. | The Maastricht Treaty was signed in 1992, shortly after the [[Overthrow of the Soviet Union|dissolution of the Soviet Union]], and came into effect in 1993, officially establishing the Union. During the 1990s and 2000s, the EU expanded into [[Eastern Europe]].<ref name=":1" /> | ||
=== Brexit === | === Brexit === | ||
In 2016, the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|United Kingdom]] | {{Main article|Brexit}} | ||
In 2016, the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|United Kingdom]] voted to leave the European Union.<ref name=":1">{{Citation|author=Costas Lapavitsas|year=2019|title=The Left Case against the EU|title-url=https://annas-archive.org/md5/76c71c35e80b3703ce2dd8aa6ca45e5b|page=10–29|city=Cambridge|publisher=Polity Press|isbn=9781509531080}}</ref> | |||
== | == Policies== | ||
== | === Economic policy === | ||
By and large, the European Union strives to promote [[neoliberalism]] across its member states. The EU's process of integration is designed in such a way as to facilitate "free" capital mobility and to erode social welfare programs.<ref>{{Citation|author=Christoph Hermann|year=2007|title=Neoliberalism in the European Union|publisher=Studies in Political Economy, 79(1)|page=61–90|doi=https://doi.org/10.1080/19187033.2007.11675092|quote=As shown in this paper, major policy issues, such as the Single Market Strategy, European competition policy, Economic and Monetary Integration, and even the European Employment Strategy, have enhanced “free” trade and “free” capital mobility, monetary restraint and budgetary austerity, the flexibilization of labour markets, and the erosion of employment security. In some areas, including monetary and fiscal policies, Euro-zone member states have gone further in following the neoliberal agenda than even neoliberal frontrunners like the United States and United Kingdom. Contrary to the rhetoric of the European Social Model, the integration process allowed policymakers, backed by the leading sections of European capital, to circumvent and erode the social rights that were achieved in the postwar decades and that represented the essence of the various European social models. This process was facilitated as much by the substantial democratic deficits of the EU, including the marginal status of the European Parliament, as by the extraordinary structural imbalance embodied by the institutional arrangements that govern European decisionmaking processes and the implementation of common European policies. This arrangement gives priority to competition and monetary issues at the expense of social demands. While member states that fail to meet the convergence criteria are threatened with financial penalties, there are no sanctions in the case of a member state falling short of employment targets.}}</ref> This is evident from their accession criteria alone, which demands a "functioning market economy," defined as: | |||
== | * high quality of economic governance | ||
* macroeconomic stability (including adequate price stability as well as sustainable public finances and external accounts) | |||
* proper functioning of the goods and services market (including business environment, state influence on product markets, and privatisation and restructuring) | |||
* proper functioning of the financial market (including financial stability and access to finance) | |||
* proper functioning of the labour market<ref>{{Web citation|title=Economic accession criteria|newspaper=European Commission|retrieved=2024-01-07|url=https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/international-economic-relations/candidate-and-neighbouring-countries/enlargement/economic-accession-criteria_en|archive-date=2024-01-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250107191123/https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/international-economic-relations/candidate-and-neighbouring-countries/enlargement/economic-accession-criteria_en}}</ref> | |||
Margarethe Verstager, back when she was the European Commissioner for Competition, explained that member states are only allowed to nationalize companies if said nationalized companies operate "like a private market economy operator."<ref>{{Web citation|author=[Margrethe] Vestager|title=Parliamentary question E-003938/2015(ASW), Answer given by Ms Vestager on behalf of the Commission|newspaper=European Parliament|date=2015-05-13|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-8-2015-003938-ASW_EN.html|quote=Article 345 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) enshrines the principle of neutrality of the Treaties as regards the system of property ownership in the Member States. It follows that the Treaties are also neutral as regards public or private ownership of undertakings. | |||
In light of this, EC law does not prohibit the nationalisation of undertakings. It has to be pointed out, however, that a Member State nationalising a private undertaking has to act like a private market economy operator as regards both the purchase price and the management of the nationalised undertaking. Otherwise, State aid rules (Articles 107 and 108 TFEU) would apply. | |||
The same is true as regards privatisation of public undertakings. If a Member State privatising a public undertaking does not act like a private market economy operator when setting the price, State aid rules would apply. A private market economy operator would, in general, be assumed to try to achieve the highest price possible for the undertaking in question. Market conditions can in general be assumed if an undertaking is privatised through the sale of shares on the stock exchange, for example, or if an open, transparent and unconditional tender has taken place and the undertaking has been sold to the highest bidder. For further details, the Commission would like to refer the Honourable Member to the 23rd Competition Policy report of 1993 as well as the Guidance paper on state aid compliant financing, restructuring and privatisation of state-owned enterprises.}}</ref> In other words, EU member states are prohibited from not being [[Capitalism|capitalist]]. | |||
=== Foreign Policy === | |||
==== Borders ==== | |||
Over 40,000 people have died trying to cross the border of the European Union,<ref>{{News citation|newspaper=Abolish Frontex|title=Frontex|url=https://abolishfrontex.org/frontex/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515035947/https://abolishfrontex.org/frontex/|archive-date=2022-05-15|retrieved=2022-06-10}}</ref> and the EU has constructed nearly 1,000 km of border walls since its founding. By 2027, [[European Border and Coast Guard Agency|Frontex]], the EU's border police, aims to have 10,000 armed guards.<ref>{{News citation|author=Ainhoa Ruiz Benedicto, Pere Brunet|newspaper=Transnational Institute|title=Building walls|date=2018-11-09|url=https://www.tni.org/en/publication/building-walls|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515040207/https://www.tni.org/en/publication/building-walls|archive-date=2022-05-15|retrieved=2022-06-10}}</ref> | Over 40,000 people have died trying to cross the border of the European Union,<ref>{{News citation|newspaper=Abolish Frontex|title=Frontex|url=https://abolishfrontex.org/frontex/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515035947/https://abolishfrontex.org/frontex/|archive-date=2022-05-15|retrieved=2022-06-10}}</ref> and the EU has constructed nearly 1,000 km of border walls since its founding. By 2027, [[European Border and Coast Guard Agency|Frontex]], the EU's border police, aims to have 10,000 armed guards.<ref>{{News citation|author=Ainhoa Ruiz Benedicto, Pere Brunet|newspaper=Transnational Institute|title=Building walls|date=2018-11-09|url=https://www.tni.org/en/publication/building-walls|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515040207/https://www.tni.org/en/publication/building-walls|archive-date=2022-05-15|retrieved=2022-06-10}}</ref> | ||
==== Funding of Fascists ==== | |||
In 2006, the EU provided 600,000 Euros of funding to the [[Fascism|fascist]] [[Alliance for Peace and Freedom]].<ref>{{News citation|newspaper=In Defense of Communism|title=€600,000 for Hitler's political descendants: How the EU funds Neo-Nazi Parties|date=2016-05-12|url=https://www.idcommunism.com/2016/05/600000-for-hitlers-political.html?m=1|retrieved=2022-03-29}}</ref> | |||
== Political Positions == | |||
=== Nazi apologia === | |||
The entire European Union voted in favor of [[Nazism]] in a 2022 [[United Nations|UN]] resolution, claiming that "they were forced to because the [[Russian Federation]] is using Nazism to justify its [[2022 Russo-Ukrainian conflict|invasion]] of [[Ukraine]]".<ref>{{Web citation|author=Eric Zuesse|newspaper=Countercurrents|title=U.S. and Allies Vote For Nazism at U.N.|date=2022-11-07|url=https://countercurrents.org/2022/11/u-s-and-allies-vote-for-nazism-at-u-n/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109134223/https://countercurrents.org/2022/11/u-s-and-allies-vote-for-nazism-at-u-n/|archive-date=2022-11-09|retrieved=2022-11-13}}</ref> | |||
=== Islamophobia === | |||
Top EU officials allow burning the [[Quran]] in order to incite [[Islamophobia|hatred against Muslims]] and distract from domestic failures.<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Ramzy Baroud|newspaper=[[MintPress News]]|title=Burning the Quran and the Counter-Offensive: Why the West Is Panicking|date=2023-07-10|url=https://www.mintpressnews.com/burning-quran-counter-offensive-west-panicking/285240/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712173258/https://www.mintpressnews.com/burning-quran-counter-offensive-west-panicking/285240/|archive-date=2023-07-12}}</ref> | |||
=== Anti-Communism === | |||
In 2019, the EU passed a resolution equating [[communism]] and fascism as forms of "[[totalitarianism]]", thereby equating the two. The [[Communist Party of Greece|KKE]], [[Portuguese Communist Party|PCP]], and [[Italian Communist Party (2016)|Italian Communist Party]] condemned the resolution.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Muhammed Shabeer|newspaper=[[Peoples Dispatch]]|title=European Parliament’s anti-communist resolution draws widespread criticism|date=2019-09-27|url=https://peoplesdispatch.org/2019/09/27/european-parliaments-anti-communist-resolution-draws-widespread-criticism/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318170959/https://peoplesdispatch.org/2019/09/27/european-parliaments-anti-communist-resolution-draws-widespread-criticism/|archive-date=2022-03-18|retrieved=2022-09-09}}</ref> | |||
=== Pro-Imperialism === | |||
In October 2022, [[Josep Borrell]], the EU's top foreign policy official, delivered a [[Colonialism|colonialist]] rant at the inauguration of the European Diplomatic Academy in Brussels in which he called Europe a "garden" and the rest of the world a "jungle", and that the jungle will "invade" the garden. In that same speech, he also advocated for regime change in [[Russian Federation|Russia]] to install a pro-West government.<ref>{{Web citation|author=[[Ben Norton]]|newspaper=[[Multipolarista]]|title=In neocolonial rant, EU says Europe is ‘garden’ superior to rest of world’s barbaric ‘jungle’|date=2022-10-15|url=https://multipolarista.com/2022/10/15/eu-europe-garden-jungle/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021045305/https://multipolarista.com/2022/10/15/eu-europe-garden-jungle/|archive-date=2022-10-21|retrieved=2022-10-22}}</ref> | |||
The EU has officially censored [[RT (TV Network)|RT]] and other Russian media outlets in the wake of the [[2022 Russo-Ukrainian conflict]], making their websites and other content unavailable to EU citizens.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
== Member states == | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|+ | |||
!State | |||
!Accession to EU | |||
!Accession to EU predecessor | |||
!MEPs | |||
!People/MEP | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Austria.svg}} [[Republic of Austria|Austria]] | |||
|1 January 1995 | |||
| | |||
|19 | |||
|472575 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Belgium.svg}} [[Kingdom of Belgium|Belgium]] | |||
|Founder (1993) | |||
|23 July 1952 | |||
|21 | |||
|553220 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Bulgarian flag.png}} [[Republic of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] | |||
|1 January 2007 | |||
| | |||
|17 | |||
|402290 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Croatia.svg}} [[Republic of Croatia|Croatia]] | |||
|1 July 2013 | |||
| | |||
|12 | |||
|321859 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Cyprus.svg}} [[Republic of Cyprus|Cyprus]] | |||
|1 May 2004 | |||
| | |||
|6 | |||
|150784 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Czech flag.png}} [[Czech Republic]] | |||
|1 May 2004 | |||
| | |||
|21 | |||
|500796 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Denmark.png}} [[Kingdom of Denmark|Denmark]] | |||
|Founder (1993) | |||
|1 January 1973 | |||
|14 | |||
|419530 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Estonia.svg}} [[Republic of Estonia|Estonia]] | |||
|1 May 2004 | |||
| | |||
|7 | |||
|190257 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Finland.svg}} [[Republic of Finland|Finland]] | |||
|1 January 1995 | |||
| | |||
|14 | |||
|396303 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of France.svg}} [[French Republic|France]] | |||
|Founder (1993) | |||
|23 July 1952 | |||
|79 | |||
|859138 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Germany.svg}} [[Federal Republic of Germany|Germany]] | |||
|Founder (1993) | |||
|23 July 1952 | |||
|96 | |||
|867053 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Greece.svg}} [[Hellenic Republic|Greece]] | |||
|Founder (1993) | |||
|1 January 1981 | |||
|21 | |||
|498085 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Hungarian flag.png}} [[Hungary]] | |||
|1 May 2004 | |||
| | |||
|21 | |||
|461381 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Irish flag.png.png}} [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] | |||
|Founder (1993) | |||
|1 January 1973 | |||
|13 | |||
|389231 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Italy.svg}} [[Italian Republic|Italy]] | |||
|Founder (1993) | |||
|23 July 1952 | |||
|76 | |||
|776712 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Latvia.svg}} [[Republic of Latvia|Latvia]] | |||
|1 May 2004 | |||
| | |||
|8 | |||
|234470 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Lithuania.svg}} [[Republic of Lithuania|Lithuania]] | |||
|1 May 2004 | |||
| | |||
|11 | |||
|255091 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Luxembourg.png}} [[Grand Duchy of Luxembourg|Luxembourg]] | |||
|Founder (1993) | |||
|23 July 1952 | |||
|6 | |||
|107566 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Malta.svg}} [[Republic of Malta|Malta]] | |||
|1 May 2004 | |||
| | |||
|6 | |||
|86829 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Dutch flag.png}} [[Kingdom of the Netherlands|Netherlands]] | |||
|Founder (1993) | |||
|23 July 1952 | |||
|29 | |||
|606575 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Poland.svg}} [[Republic of Poland|Poland]] | |||
|1 May 2004 | |||
| | |||
|52 | |||
|724120 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Portugal.svg}} [[Portuguese Republic|Portugal]] | |||
|Founder (1993) | |||
|1 January 1986 | |||
|21 | |||
|492954 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Romania.png}} [[Romania]] | |||
|1 January 2007 | |||
| | |||
|33 | |||
|577044 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Slovakia.svg}} [[Slovak Republic|Slovakia]] | |||
|1 May 2004 | |||
| | |||
|14 | |||
|388194 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Slovenia.svg}} [[Republic of Slovenia|Slovenia]] | |||
|1 May 2004 | |||
| | |||
|8 | |||
|263398 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Spanish flag.png}} [[Kingdom of Spain|Spain]] | |||
|Founder (1993) | |||
|1 January 1986 | |||
|59 | |||
|803947 | |||
|- | |||
|{{Flagicon|Flag of Sweden.svg}} [[Kingdom of Sweden|Sweden]] | |||
|1 January 1995 | |||
| | |||
|21 | |||
|497730 | |||
|} | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
Latest revision as of 12:02, 14 March 2025
| European Union | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
 | |
| Capital | Brussels (seat of principal EU institutions) Berlin (Capital of the leading state, Germany) |
| Largest city | Paris |
| Dominant mode of production | Imperialist Capitalism |
| Government | Plutocratic confederation |
• President of the European Council | Charles Michel |
• President of the Commission | Ursula von der Leyen |
| History | |
| 17 March 1948 | |
| 18 April 1951 | |
| 1 January 1958 | |
| 1 July 1987 | |
| 1 November 1993 | |
| 1 December 2009 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,233,262 km² |
| Population | |
• 2022 estimate | 447,007,596 |
| Currency | Euro (€) |
The European Union (abbreviated as the EU) is a neoliberal political and economic union of 27 European countries established in 1993.[1] Its official currency, not used by all member countries, is the Euro denoted with the € symbol.
History[edit | edit source]
Predecessors[edit | edit source]
In 1910, Gerhard Hildebrand, an opportunist and imperialist, proposed a creating a "United States of Western Europe" that would exclude Russia and organize military actions against China, Japan, African freedom fighters, and Islamists.[2]
The European Economic Community, founded in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome, directly preceded the EU.[3]
Founding and expansion[edit | edit source]
The Maastricht Treaty was signed in 1992, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and came into effect in 1993, officially establishing the Union. During the 1990s and 2000s, the EU expanded into Eastern Europe.[3]
Brexit[edit | edit source]
See main article: Brexit
In 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union.[3]
Policies[edit | edit source]
Economic policy[edit | edit source]
By and large, the European Union strives to promote neoliberalism across its member states. The EU's process of integration is designed in such a way as to facilitate "free" capital mobility and to erode social welfare programs.[4] This is evident from their accession criteria alone, which demands a "functioning market economy," defined as:
- high quality of economic governance
- macroeconomic stability (including adequate price stability as well as sustainable public finances and external accounts)
- proper functioning of the goods and services market (including business environment, state influence on product markets, and privatisation and restructuring)
- proper functioning of the financial market (including financial stability and access to finance)
- proper functioning of the labour market[5]
Margarethe Verstager, back when she was the European Commissioner for Competition, explained that member states are only allowed to nationalize companies if said nationalized companies operate "like a private market economy operator."[6] In other words, EU member states are prohibited from not being capitalist.
Foreign Policy[edit | edit source]
Borders[edit | edit source]
Over 40,000 people have died trying to cross the border of the European Union,[7] and the EU has constructed nearly 1,000 km of border walls since its founding. By 2027, Frontex, the EU's border police, aims to have 10,000 armed guards.[8]
Funding of Fascists[edit | edit source]
In 2006, the EU provided 600,000 Euros of funding to the fascist Alliance for Peace and Freedom.[9]
Political Positions[edit | edit source]
Nazi apologia[edit | edit source]
The entire European Union voted in favor of Nazism in a 2022 UN resolution, claiming that "they were forced to because the Russian Federation is using Nazism to justify its invasion of Ukraine".[10]
Islamophobia[edit | edit source]
Top EU officials allow burning the Quran in order to incite hatred against Muslims and distract from domestic failures.[11]
Anti-Communism[edit | edit source]
In 2019, the EU passed a resolution equating communism and fascism as forms of "totalitarianism", thereby equating the two. The KKE, PCP, and Italian Communist Party condemned the resolution.[12]
Pro-Imperialism[edit | edit source]
In October 2022, Josep Borrell, the EU's top foreign policy official, delivered a colonialist rant at the inauguration of the European Diplomatic Academy in Brussels in which he called Europe a "garden" and the rest of the world a "jungle", and that the jungle will "invade" the garden. In that same speech, he also advocated for regime change in Russia to install a pro-West government.[13]
The EU has officially censored RT and other Russian media outlets in the wake of the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian conflict, making their websites and other content unavailable to EU citizens.[11]
Member states[edit | edit source]
| State | Accession to EU | Accession to EU predecessor | MEPs | People/MEP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Austria
|
1 January 1995 | 19 | 472575 | |
 Belgium
|
Founder (1993) | 23 July 1952 | 21 | 553220 |
 Bulgaria
|
1 January 2007 | 17 | 402290 | |
 Croatia
|
1 July 2013 | 12 | 321859 | |
 Cyprus
|
1 May 2004 | 6 | 150784 | |
 Czech Republic
|
1 May 2004 | 21 | 500796 | |
 Denmark
|
Founder (1993) | 1 January 1973 | 14 | 419530 |
 Estonia
|
1 May 2004 | 7 | 190257 | |
 Finland
|
1 January 1995 | 14 | 396303 | |
 France
|
Founder (1993) | 23 July 1952 | 79 | 859138 |
 Germany
|
Founder (1993) | 23 July 1952 | 96 | 867053 |
 Greece
|
Founder (1993) | 1 January 1981 | 21 | 498085 |
 Hungary
|
1 May 2004 | 21 | 461381 | |
 Ireland
|
Founder (1993) | 1 January 1973 | 13 | 389231 |
 Italy
|
Founder (1993) | 23 July 1952 | 76 | 776712 |
 Latvia
|
1 May 2004 | 8 | 234470 | |
 Lithuania
|
1 May 2004 | 11 | 255091 | |
 Luxembourg
|
Founder (1993) | 23 July 1952 | 6 | 107566 |
 Malta
|
1 May 2004 | 6 | 86829 | |
 Netherlands
|
Founder (1993) | 23 July 1952 | 29 | 606575 |
 Poland
|
1 May 2004 | 52 | 724120 | |
 Portugal
|
Founder (1993) | 1 January 1986 | 21 | 492954 |
 Romania
|
1 January 2007 | 33 | 577044 | |
 Slovakia
|
1 May 2004 | 14 | 388194 | |
 Slovenia
|
1 May 2004 | 8 | 263398 | |
 Spain
|
Founder (1993) | 1 January 1986 | 59 | 803947 |
 Sweden
|
1 January 1995 | 21 | 497730 |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Matthew J. Gabel (1998). European Union. Encyclopedia Britannica.
- ↑ Vladimir Lenin (1916). Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism: 'Parasitism and Decay of Capitalism'. Moscow: Progress Publishers. [MIA]
- ↑ Jump up to: 3.0 3.1 3.2 Costas Lapavitsas (2019). The Left Case against the EU (pp. 10–29). Cambridge: Polity Press. ISBN 9781509531080
- ↑ “As shown in this paper, major policy issues, such as the Single Market Strategy, European competition policy, Economic and Monetary Integration, and even the European Employment Strategy, have enhanced “free” trade and “free” capital mobility, monetary restraint and budgetary austerity, the flexibilization of labour markets, and the erosion of employment security. In some areas, including monetary and fiscal policies, Euro-zone member states have gone further in following the neoliberal agenda than even neoliberal frontrunners like the United States and United Kingdom. Contrary to the rhetoric of the European Social Model, the integration process allowed policymakers, backed by the leading sections of European capital, to circumvent and erode the social rights that were achieved in the postwar decades and that represented the essence of the various European social models. This process was facilitated as much by the substantial democratic deficits of the EU, including the marginal status of the European Parliament, as by the extraordinary structural imbalance embodied by the institutional arrangements that govern European decisionmaking processes and the implementation of common European policies. This arrangement gives priority to competition and monetary issues at the expense of social demands. While member states that fail to meet the convergence criteria are threatened with financial penalties, there are no sanctions in the case of a member state falling short of employment targets.”
Christoph Hermann (2007). Neoliberalism in the European Union (pp. 61–90). Studies in Political Economy, 79(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/19187033.2007.11675092 [HUB] - ↑ "Economic accession criteria". European Commission. Archived from the original on 2024-01-07. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
- ↑ “Article 345 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) enshrines the principle of neutrality of the Treaties as regards the system of property ownership in the Member States. It follows that the Treaties are also neutral as regards public or private ownership of undertakings.
In light of this, EC law does not prohibit the nationalisation of undertakings. It has to be pointed out, however, that a Member State nationalising a private undertaking has to act like a private market economy operator as regards both the purchase price and the management of the nationalised undertaking. Otherwise, State aid rules (Articles 107 and 108 TFEU) would apply.
The same is true as regards privatisation of public undertakings. If a Member State privatising a public undertaking does not act like a private market economy operator when setting the price, State aid rules would apply. A private market economy operator would, in general, be assumed to try to achieve the highest price possible for the undertaking in question. Market conditions can in general be assumed if an undertaking is privatised through the sale of shares on the stock exchange, for example, or if an open, transparent and unconditional tender has taken place and the undertaking has been sold to the highest bidder. For further details, the Commission would like to refer the Honourable Member to the 23rd Competition Policy report of 1993 as well as the Guidance paper on state aid compliant financing, restructuring and privatisation of state-owned enterprises.”
[Margrethe] Vestager (2015-05-13). "Parliamentary question E-003938/2015(ASW), Answer given by Ms Vestager on behalf of the Commission" European Parliament. - ↑ "Frontex". Abolish Frontex. Archived from the original on 2022-05-15. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ↑ Ainhoa Ruiz Benedicto, Pere Brunet (2018-11-09). "Building walls" Transnational Institute. Archived from the original on 2022-05-15. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ↑ "€600,000 for Hitler's political descendants: How the EU funds Neo-Nazi Parties" (2016-05-12). In Defense of Communism. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
- ↑ Eric Zuesse (2022-11-07). "U.S. and Allies Vote For Nazism at U.N." Countercurrents. Archived from the original on 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
- ↑ Jump up to: 11.0 11.1 Ramzy Baroud (2023-07-10). "Burning the Quran and the Counter-Offensive: Why the West Is Panicking" MintPress News. Archived from the original on 2023-07-12.
- ↑ Muhammed Shabeer (2019-09-27). "European Parliament’s anti-communist resolution draws widespread criticism" Peoples Dispatch. Archived from the original on 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
- ↑ Ben Norton (2022-10-15). "In neocolonial rant, EU says Europe is ‘garden’ superior to rest of world’s barbaric ‘jungle’" Multipolarista. Archived from the original on 2022-10-21. Retrieved 2022-10-22.