Europe is made up if lots of different countriesand they do mot do every thing the same.

[goodiegoodieyumyum]

Fed up with reading in Europe they do things this way, in some parts of Europe yes maybe, but Europe is made up of approximately 50 countries, each with their own cultures and laws. Also isnt the UK part of Europe.

There are many things mainland Europe does which are similar country to country and differ vastly to how things are done in the UK.

Attitudes to childcare, working hours/workers rights and rent being obvious examples.

And your point is.........?

It's lazy journalism and a shorthand for liberal European ideals and the consensus political and social agenda which has replaced the interstate rivalry which brought about WWI & WWII. In that sense, even for lazy journalists, Europe as an imaginary unified place is kind of true.

I read it on threads, maternity allowance differs greatly from one country to another, apparently all Europeans rent and can get long term rental when renting property, all Europeans get cheap child care. Things differ greatly from country to country why lump s whole continent all together.

"UK isn't part of europe" WTF have you ever looked at a map or studied geography

I agree, and that's why the eurozone is proving difficult to manage. Different countries have very different priorities.

It's just shorthand.

Writing 'EU nations' 'Western Europe' 'Northern Europe' 'continental Europe' takes longer!

She never said the UK isn't part of Europe. She said isn't the UK part of Europe?

Read an op properly before jumping in.

Where are you reading this guff in sufficient quantities to annoy you? And more importantly...........why?

OP didn't say that Scram.

Think you need to read that again scram

YANBU. Europe is a continent with lots of different cultures. It's as stupid as talking about Africa as though it has a single culture. It's also the reason why 'ever closer union' is just going to end up inflaming petty nationalism in the diverse countries it's trying to unite.

I am a europhile eurosceptic

YANBU OP.

I am still hollowly laughing at the utterly absurd notion that renting is paradise on earth in that there mythical place known as "Europe".

It really does show how ignorant people are. How can somewhere like, say, Sweden, possibly have that much in common with, say, Croatia. Yet "ooooh, Europe, that's where they do X Y and Z"

I do think the posters who do this have been no further than Center Parcs though, so are maybe to be excused. Or not.

YANBU

If you don't say WHERE in Europe they do bah blah blah, then I assume you are just making it up out of bit of misremembered puff pieces in the weekend newspaper.

Even if she had said that scram, is it really necessary to be so rude? I do wonder what some posters are like in real life!

OP YANBU.

Hey, DrankSangria, my family once went to Center Parcs in Germany, I'll have you know! La-de-da!

YANBU OP. Totally agree with Trills as well.

I quite agree. I posted on the rental thread but I couldn't be arsed to make the point that Europe isn't one big place with the same rules, ideals, and ways of life.

Center Parks in Germany?

I bet they were strict about letting you out of that plastic bubble.

Why wouldn't you compare UK standards to those in the nearest neighbouring countries which are almost the same geographically and ethnically?

You do realise comparison is quite a useful tool OP? As in working out whether you are getting value for money or being sold a turkey?

What would you be scared of?

Try living in the US, it's even worse here! People constantly refer to 'Yurp' as one place where everyone is a communist who likes to walk around naked, you get 8 years of fully paid maternity leave and 20 weeks paid vacation a year and we all have tiny cars. Kind of bizarre when you come from non-Continental Europe.

Attitudes to childcare, working hours/workers rights and rent being obvious examples.

I've lived in France, Belgium and Germany and they all have very different attitudes and laws to all these three (In Germany you can keep your job for two years after having a child with generous "ElternGeld" for the first year and an extended maternity leave isn't unusual, in Belgium almost all babies go straight into creche at 3 months, I was considered very odd to be at home with my one year old). Renting is also completely different.

I'd agree in general though that are trends that extend through out mainland Europe and a sense of European identity (in addition to a national identity) which doesn't extend to the same extend over the channel.

I have read it so many times on. mumsnet, in Europe they do so and so. I have lived in the UK I now live in the Netherlands, my DH is Danish so I know a bit about Denmark, I know people from all over Europe who tell me about the countries they come from I just think you cannot lump the whole of Europe together.

I'll look out for the kinds of posts you're referring to. I can't say that I've noticed them up until this point. But, on mumsnet you can always ask for a clarification in a way that's impossible in a newspaper.

The UK isn't part of Europe? Are we living on the same planet?

The UK is part of the European continent. It's part of the European Union. It's geographically and politically part of western Europe. Um, it's in Europe lol.

Of course European countries have many distinguishing national features not to mention their own languages, I have never seen anyone pretend otherwise. On the other hand, we share many aspects of our history, language and culture with different bits of Europe.