Britain and Europe!
I have written about Europe and Britain's relationship with the continent many times before. It is one of those subjects I have always had strong views about and I am passionate about what my home Country should do, in order to progress, continuing a positive relationship, with our European counterparts. Positivity is the key here, because ever since we joined the European Community, all those years ago, our relationship has been nothing but positive. The whole process of applying to join, rejection and recrimination, set the stage, for what has been a terrible partnership. To be included in any form of group, should be an inclusive experience. Working for common aims, with others who have common goals, should be liberating. This has never been the case with The UK, Europe project. There has been very little alacrity between us and them!
Now living on the continent myself, I have taken to reading much about the European project. Although now an expat, I am allowed to vote in the British Referendum, because I have been out of the Country for less than fifteen years, and as I have always done, I will be exercising my right, to have my say. I am a political animal, having studied politics at University and want answers, before I put that cross in the box. It is important for all of us to gather as much information as we can, before making a choice, because if we, as a Nation get this wrong, it will damage our future completely and we will not be able to put it right!
Currently I live in a relatively small community and my friends are mainly expats it has to be said. When you pop along to the squares and strips for a drink in the evening, the main topic of conversation, as you would expect, is about the EU Referendum in The UK. Everyone has an opinion, as to what we should or should not do. Everyone will claim to be an authority on expat politics, and their views are best. Well, I tend not to listen to gossip and rumour any more, so equally, I will make my own mind up, as to what I will eventually vote.
It is interesting, talking to local Brits, in Spain, just how anti European they are. It was odd to me, that people who choose to live and work over here, have such feelings, but as time has moved on, I have realised why they are as they are. You must remember, that although we are living in Spain, we are first and foremost, living in an expat community. Before I came to Spain, I did not want to live predominantly in this kind of area and wanted to integrate fully with The Spanish, but we fell into Spanglish life instead. This was no accident, because in reality there was no real alternative. The expat community have been instrumental in helping us adjust to our new life. Without them, life would have been very difficult. These people, unlike any I have ever met, have gone out of their way to ensure we have become part of this fantastic neighbourhood, a microcosm of Britain itself!
Life here is very different to you imagine. All of the beliefs you have, the plans you made and the aspirations you hoped to achieve, have changed fully and completely. The Spanish are very different to the British. When migrants come to The UK, they are welcomed, in the main. with open arms and treated equally, almost immediately. This is of course, in the spirit of the union we currently exist in. The Spanish, although polite, are not so happy with us living and working in their Country. Unless you are born here, it is very difficult, if not impossible to get a job, that in reality is always given to a native person. They will always get priority! Discrimination towards other nationalities is rife. When you also consider that unemployment and the economy is in a terrible state in Spain, you begin to see just how bad things are. It does seem sometimes, that you don´t have to be good at a job here, just so long as you are Spanish. In Britain, equal opportunities exist, here they do not.
So the expat community stick together and help each other out, just as the Spanish do. It is thanks to them only, that all of us are working, have a car and know how to meander our way through the Spanish bureaucracy. You can understand why, these people may well be anti European. In The UK, we follow every UK directive with gusto, in Spain, they don´t. They do what they want, not what Europe demands. From Health and Safety, human rights to employment, Spain sets its own agenda, yet back home, we continue to follow laws that quite simply do not work for us, or indeed Europe! It becomes obvious why those in The UK, get hacked off with having to pay for a Europe that only Britain seems to follow, while all the other members just do what they want. When you live on the continent, you really can see things for what they are!
Now living on the continent myself, I have taken to reading much about the European project. Although now an expat, I am allowed to vote in the British Referendum, because I have been out of the Country for less than fifteen years, and as I have always done, I will be exercising my right, to have my say. I am a political animal, having studied politics at University and want answers, before I put that cross in the box. It is important for all of us to gather as much information as we can, before making a choice, because if we, as a Nation get this wrong, it will damage our future completely and we will not be able to put it right!
Currently I live in a relatively small community and my friends are mainly expats it has to be said. When you pop along to the squares and strips for a drink in the evening, the main topic of conversation, as you would expect, is about the EU Referendum in The UK. Everyone has an opinion, as to what we should or should not do. Everyone will claim to be an authority on expat politics, and their views are best. Well, I tend not to listen to gossip and rumour any more, so equally, I will make my own mind up, as to what I will eventually vote.
It is interesting, talking to local Brits, in Spain, just how anti European they are. It was odd to me, that people who choose to live and work over here, have such feelings, but as time has moved on, I have realised why they are as they are. You must remember, that although we are living in Spain, we are first and foremost, living in an expat community. Before I came to Spain, I did not want to live predominantly in this kind of area and wanted to integrate fully with The Spanish, but we fell into Spanglish life instead. This was no accident, because in reality there was no real alternative. The expat community have been instrumental in helping us adjust to our new life. Without them, life would have been very difficult. These people, unlike any I have ever met, have gone out of their way to ensure we have become part of this fantastic neighbourhood, a microcosm of Britain itself!
Life here is very different to you imagine. All of the beliefs you have, the plans you made and the aspirations you hoped to achieve, have changed fully and completely. The Spanish are very different to the British. When migrants come to The UK, they are welcomed, in the main. with open arms and treated equally, almost immediately. This is of course, in the spirit of the union we currently exist in. The Spanish, although polite, are not so happy with us living and working in their Country. Unless you are born here, it is very difficult, if not impossible to get a job, that in reality is always given to a native person. They will always get priority! Discrimination towards other nationalities is rife. When you also consider that unemployment and the economy is in a terrible state in Spain, you begin to see just how bad things are. It does seem sometimes, that you don´t have to be good at a job here, just so long as you are Spanish. In Britain, equal opportunities exist, here they do not.
So the expat community stick together and help each other out, just as the Spanish do. It is thanks to them only, that all of us are working, have a car and know how to meander our way through the Spanish bureaucracy. You can understand why, these people may well be anti European. In The UK, we follow every UK directive with gusto, in Spain, they don´t. They do what they want, not what Europe demands. From Health and Safety, human rights to employment, Spain sets its own agenda, yet back home, we continue to follow laws that quite simply do not work for us, or indeed Europe! It becomes obvious why those in The UK, get hacked off with having to pay for a Europe that only Britain seems to follow, while all the other members just do what they want. When you live on the continent, you really can see things for what they are!
On Spanish television, there was a Minister from the interim Government here, who spoke at length about the possible British exit from the EU. It is clear that Spain are feeling vengeful, as the Spanish often do. The Minister stated that all of The British would be deported, for being illegal. Homes and businesses would be confiscated and jobs lost. The Spanish are famous for their rants like this over here, and most people take what they say, with a pinch of salt. However, Spain could quite legally do all the things they threatened, dismantling whole communities, such as the one I live in and removing infrastructure to erase all trace of the British. These were venomous words, but they have to be taken seriously, when I decide how to vote.
Would Spain really go that far?
It is doubtful that the Spanish would carry out the threats it has made on Spanish television. The tourist industry relies on the British, as do many businesses. There are also many more Spaniards in The UK then there are British in Spain, so would they really want to risk retaliation on a massive scale.
The biggest problems are for first and second home owners, for people using the Health Service here and those who are retired. Where would a Brexit leave them?
Of course there would be changes and rights would be lost. Access to free Health Care, is likely to cease in Spain. This would be particularly harmful to those who are retired and rely heavily on the services offered by the Spanish. In reality they would be made to pay for the majority, if not all the services they use.
If we vote to leave, all of us expats, in whatever European Country, would become illegal over night, and one would assume it is up to each Country to have their own response to what would essentially be a crisis. Treaty's would be ripped up and this would become the biggest disaster, The European Union has ever faced. All of us continue to speculate as to what will happen, but none of us really know. It will be up to each individual Country to make its own choice.
The biggest problems are for first and second home owners, for people using the Health Service here and those who are retired. Where would a Brexit leave them?
Of course there would be changes and rights would be lost. Access to free Health Care, is likely to cease in Spain. This would be particularly harmful to those who are retired and rely heavily on the services offered by the Spanish. In reality they would be made to pay for the majority, if not all the services they use.
If we vote to leave, all of us expats, in whatever European Country, would become illegal over night, and one would assume it is up to each Country to have their own response to what would essentially be a crisis. Treaty's would be ripped up and this would become the biggest disaster, The European Union has ever faced. All of us continue to speculate as to what will happen, but none of us really know. It will be up to each individual Country to make its own choice.
My view!
Before I moved to Spain, my views were clear. I was extremely anti Europe. The European Union is probably the most wasteful organisation I have ever known. Stupid laws introduced, for no other reason than to standardise Europe, turning it into a super state. Bureaucrats are over paid and unelected and quite simply answerable to no one! The United Kingdom pays in far too much money, to a bloated, far too powerful and absolutely out of touch Union that really has no place in the World, in its current form.
When you look at other European Countries and their Governments, you can see how similar in Nature Brussels is. Corruption, expenses, the European Courts, all unfit for purpose. Over paid Officials, have for too long been allowed to get away with daylight robbery, where those they are supposed to represent, continue to suffer, through high unemployment and terrible services, as they continue to take huge sums of money from the European Gravy Train!
Europe is dead, in its present form!
When you look at other European Countries and their Governments, you can see how similar in Nature Brussels is. Corruption, expenses, the European Courts, all unfit for purpose. Over paid Officials, have for too long been allowed to get away with daylight robbery, where those they are supposed to represent, continue to suffer, through high unemployment and terrible services, as they continue to take huge sums of money from the European Gravy Train!
Europe is dead, in its present form!
Yes or No to Europe?
Everyone has to make up their own mind, as to which way to vote of course. Personally I believe that we should vote to leave the EU now. This was a hard decision to take, considering my home is now in Europe and the consequences of my vote could be detrimental to me.
I don´t believe the horror stories that we are being told about a no vote. Countries have agreements with one another, whether or not you are in Europe. Spain has far more to loose than the UK, out of retaliatory measures, so should think very carefully before they put inflammatory Ministers on the television. Remember Spain has one of the worst performing economies in Europe and should think before it makes stupid statements, let alone acts upon a barrage of vitriol and emotive language used to win votes and keep their own jobs!
Putting my own position aside, because would be a selfish view, I will be voting to leave The EU!
I don´t believe the horror stories that we are being told about a no vote. Countries have agreements with one another, whether or not you are in Europe. Spain has far more to loose than the UK, out of retaliatory measures, so should think very carefully before they put inflammatory Ministers on the television. Remember Spain has one of the worst performing economies in Europe and should think before it makes stupid statements, let alone acts upon a barrage of vitriol and emotive language used to win votes and keep their own jobs!
Putting my own position aside, because would be a selfish view, I will be voting to leave The EU!
