The Euro: Dead

[Petrushka]

Not yet, maybe, but surely only a matter if time.

[MrGongGong]

I don't think so the Germans and French are far too committed to it
it's a real shame that Greece was allowed to join when it didn't fulfil the conditions
its a real missed opportunity for the UK being outside the Euro we should have become real participants rather than moaning on the edge and we might have been able to have a bit of influence in a positive way
Sarkozy was right when he told Cameron to get lost and mind his own business , the UK should stop pretending that we are some kind of world power and learn a bit of humility

[amateur51]

I don't think so the Germans and French are far too committed to it
it's a real shame that Greece was allowed to join when it didn't fulfil the conditions
its a real missed opportunity for the UK being outside the Euro we should have become real participants rather than moaning on the edge and we might have been able to have a bit of influence in a positive way
Sarkozy was right when he told Cameron to get lost and mind his own business , the UK should stop pretending that we are some kind of world power and learn a bit of humility

[VodkaDilc]

Not yet, maybe, but surely only a matter if time.

I hope not. It's so convenient for holidays.

[Flosshilde]

its a real missed opportunity for the UK being outside the Euro we should have become real participants rather than moaning on the edge and we might have been able to have a bit of influence in a positive way

No - I'm committed to the concept of the EU, but I'm now heartliy glad that we are not a member of the Eurozone. The bullying of Greece by, primarily, Merkel & Sarkozy (or Merkozy, as I've seen them called in the Herald today) because the Prime Minister had the temerity to suggest that the Greek people should be able to have a say in what was happening too them, & not simply follow the dictates of the big two, is apalling. I hope that Greece pulls out of the Euro, followed closely by others.

The idea that we would have had any influence if we were part of the Eurozone is laughable - Britain would be very much a junior partner.

[mercia]

this little summary suggests what might happen if Greece leaves the Euro, but I guess it might be scaremongering

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15582433

[doversoul1]

mercia

Welcome back. We(I) have missed you and your Google wizardly.

[mercia]

erm thanks DS, I haven't got the answer to the Euro though

[Petrushka]

No - I'm committed to the concept of the EU, but I'm now heartliy glad that we are not a member of the Eurozone. The bullying of Greece by, primarily, Merkel & Sarkozy (or Merkozy, as I've seen them called in the Herald today) because the Prime Minister had the temerity to suggest that the Greek people should be able to have a say in what was happening too them, & not simply follow the dictates of the big two, is appalling. I hope that Greece pulls out of the Euro, followed closely by others.

The idea that we would have had any influence if we were part of the Eurozone is laughable - Britain would be very much a junior partner.

This is pretty much my own view. The Euro will suffer death by a thousand cuts but from this point on its fate seems, to me, to be sealed.

[MrGongGong]

No - I'm committed to the concept of the EU, but I'm now heartliy glad that we are not a member of the Eurozone. The bullying of Greece by, primarily, Merkel & Sarkozy (or Merkozy, as I've seen them called in the Herald today) because the Prime Minister had the temerity to suggest that the Greek people should be able to have a say in what was happening too them, & not simply follow the dictates of the big two, is apalling. I hope that Greece pulls out of the Euro, followed closely by others.

The idea that we would have had any influence if we were part of the Eurozone is laughable - Britain would be very much a junior partner.

Maybe
but being outside the Euro means that we simply don't compete on a level with those inside
my own experience being that every time I earn money in Euros I pay the bank ridiculous amounts to convert this to £
also until very recently I made regular teaching visits to a University in another EU country that is part of the Eurozone, given the instability and fluctuations of the Euro against the £ it means that now there are NO visits from people outside the Euro, it's simply too expensive for them to employ us. I'm sure this is repeated in other spheres than music.
I'm afraid its all a bit late and a sadly missed opportunity for us , the sad fantasists in the Tory and UkIP parties seem to think that we can simply pretend that we are not part of Europe and have some kind of return to the past when everyone else has moved on. The last thing we need is some daft referendum !

[scottycelt]

This may be a staggering first for me but I totally agree with Mr GG and Amateur!

The Euro will survive all right, don't worry about that. The problem here is that countries like Greece should never have been allowed to join until they were ready to do so ... water under the bridge now, of course. If countries like the UK were unfit to join it's unlikely that Greece ever was ...

It's tragic to witness just what an irrelevant player the UK is in all of this. Our press boast that we are better off outside but that is only true because of the fragility of our economy. If we had learned from the Germans and re-structured our economy a couple of decades ago we would then have been in a powerful position to join and now help to lead Europe through these temporary difficulties. Now we can only stand aside helplessly while Germany and France make all the important decisions affecting nearly half our trade. We are therefore ignored by the Americans and China. Pathetic and utterly shameful.

Pro-Europeans have consistently warned that this would likely happen and these warnings have been ignored (and unbelievably still are) by narrow-minded and blinkered Euro-sceptics. Even worse, we moan about having to contribute to the IMF to assist in protecting our most important market, completely forgetting that we had to be rescued by the same IMF in the 1970s.

Instead of preaching to others we should be looking after our own economy to insure we can eventually join the Euro on suitable terms once this has all blown over. The UK needs Europe and, yes, right now Europe could very much have done with the UK. It is our own fault and that we now find ourselves semi-shunned by the French and Germans. In all honesty, who can blame them?

[visualnickmos]

My view is that Britain has completely missed the bus on this. For years it has had one foot in, one foot out, and then has the nerve to turn down an invitation to the party, but still have a say in what music is played.

If Britain had fully embraced Europe, it would definitely not by now, be a junior player. With its potentially strong and robust economy, entrepreneurial credentials that are embedded, it would be quite arguably, be THE major player in a united Europe.

Let's not forget - that if nothing else, the Common Market, EEC, EC and now EU, has been a binding force for good, in that the major "old" powers have not gone to war, internal politics based on democracy have been upheld; this has to be a good thing.

We have to be visionary, and know that a Europe based on small, nations, all jostling for their "say" is no longer the reality - togetherness and some sort of union is what is needed. We are not the Europe of the '30s and '40s. Modern technology, communications, ease of travel, etc have changed all of that.

[MrGongGong]

If I was in charge i'd boot the UK out asap
all we seem to do is whinge rather than joining in , its a bit pathetic and embarrassing
anyone who has a passing interest in culture will understand where ours comes from

[teamsaint]

No - I'm committed to the concept of the EU, but I'm now heartliy glad that we are not a member of the Eurozone. The bullying of Greece by, primarily, Merkel & Sarkozy (or Merkozy, as I've seen them called in the Herald today) because the Prime Minister had the temerity to suggest that the Greek people should be able to have a say in what was happening too them, & not simply follow the dictates of the big two, is apalling. I hope that Greece pulls out of the Euro, followed closely by others.

The idea that we would have had any influence if we were part of the Eurozone is laughable - Britain would be very much a junior partner.

the EU, like all big scale government, is government by the powerful for the powerful.
Who likes the EU ?.......banks,.big business, politicians, and some farmers.

We need to learn to decide our own destiny, not have it decided by the European central bank, European (and British) politicians whose names we don't know, and who do the bidding of the banks in any case.

Though I don't want us near the Euro, I would have thought that with our economic power, which is still substantial at a European level, we could actually be a big player. But its an academic point.

Anyway, Its Iran we really need to worry about..........well, along with the worlds bonkers financial system.

[teamsaint]

My view is that Britain has completely missed the bus on this. For years it has had one foot in, one foot out, and then has the nerve to turn down an invitation to the party, but still have a say in what music is played.

If Britain had fully embraced Europe, it would definitely not by now, be a junior player. With its potentially strong and robust economy, entrepreneurial credentials that are embedded, it would be quite arguably, be THE major player in a united Europe.

Let's not forget - that if nothing else, the Common Market, EEC, EC and now EU, has been a binding force for good, in that the major "old" powers have not gone to war, internal politics based on democracy have been upheld; this has to be a good thing.

We have to be visionary, and know that a Europe based on small, nations, all jostling for their "say" is no longer the reality - togetherness and some sort of union is what is needed. We are not the Europe of the '30s and '40s. Modern technology, communications, ease of travel, etc have changed all of that.

Its true that we no longer fight other europeans with guns.......Europeans have exported their imperialistic and economic wars to the middle east.(at the moment) Much cleaner, safer, and easier .