EU referendum -UK users

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Louie said:

I feel you, man. I totally get where you're coming from. Some points:

1) I'm not supportive of our current government and most people over here are very cirtical towards it. The problem is this: There's almost no way to elect a new government because the two largest german parties (Social Democrats (SPD) and Christian Democrats (CDU)) formed a "Grand Coalition". There's no viable political alternative, with two exceptions: The AfD (which is more and more becoming a far-right party) and the Greens who actually won the federal state elections in south-west Germany earlier this year (SPD and CDU together lost more than 20% of votes compared to 2011 in those elections). So yeah, you're probably right: Merkel might very well still be chancellor after next year's general elections even if her party loses lots of support.

2)  I agree about germany steamrolling other european nations right now. But I'm not sure where the "cooperation with Russia" idea comes from. German media has been very anti-Russia for years now and the general media consensus is that Putin is undemocratic. Whenever Russia hosts a sports even there are discussions about boycotting it and  our secretary of state is opposed to getting Russia back into G7 meetings. It probably looks different from your point of view (naturally, considering the german-russian "track record" when it comes to Poland).

3) At the bolded part: Totally agree. This is something that has bugged me for years. German politicians have been very power-averse for decades because of WWII and now they have no idea how to balance the influential position germany has in european politics. 

4) I guess we agree to disagree on the EU part, then. In my opion there are two ways out of the current situation: A real democratic european reform or a strong scale-back of all things EU. Just not the current bureaucracy. 

1) Yeah, you sure have a problem there. Personally, I don't mind Merkel in general, she was fine for years (and that says a lot when it comes from a Pole ). If she went back on the mistakes she made in the last couple years, I wouldn't have a problem with her. But the way she's operating now - I can't accept that. It's a pity you have no alternative, the AfD is also very controversial and potentially dangerous - I don't like this movement, hope it dies. I hope a new quality emerges from somewhere, somehow or Merkel comes to senses.

2) Listern to Steinmeier and Schroeder. Look at Nordstream 1 and 2 - all Central Europe is protesting, from Estonia to Croatia and Romania. Look at Germany blocking the movement of US bases to Poland and the Baltics - you are sending a clear signal, that our safety is worth less to you than good relations with Russia and the money American soldiers spend in Germany. And then you dare to demand solidarity when it comes to immigrants...

Your politicians are playing a game in which they are criticising Russia and throwing big words left and right, but when it comes to economy, you are cooperating. You are the European ambassadors of Gasprom. Granted, overall in the last couple of years you have somewhat distanced yourself from Russia - I'll give you that, cause I've noticed this among my German friends. Unfortunately when it comes to major geo-political projects, you are still tight and you are doing it by putting Central Europe in jeopardy and showing us that there is no "European solidarity" to be found here. It's pure business and we better know our place.

4) I think that you have to know when to do what. Flexibility is the key. Right now we're in a state of crisis on so many fronts, that asking for further integration is madness, because people won't agree to it. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I'm saying it's a bad time. You have to know when to let lose and when to pull back - it's like seducing a girl We can get back to further strenghtening the cooperation once we get pass the economic crisis, migrant crisis and internal muslim terrorism crisis. Countries and nations aren't willing to give up sovereignity in such times, but when the weather is fine, they'll be more happy to do it, if they see if benefits them instead of introducing new dangers.