To think the break up of Europe has begun !

[mountford100]

Catalonia first Flanders next and the creation of the state of Northern Italy Lega Nord.

Is this the start of the collapse of integrated states within Europe.
Surely this must give encouragement for the creation of Flanders and a legal break from the Wallonian controlled state of Belgium.

Then we can envisage Florence, Milan, Turin ,Trieste, Venice, Bologna and Pisa . The Northern League splitting from Rome.

The death of the European Union is assured.

However, i find it quite hilarious how Donald Tusk , and his Teressa May like tweet that nothing has changed. This despite the EU protestations a few weeks ago that Catalonia would be kicked out of the European Union with immediate effect if independence from Spain was declared.

I think we are seeing the shoe on the other foot with regards to the European Union and its power.

[mountford100]

That is a miss interpretation of what i said. The answer i gave was to a leading question. I was just saying it makes no difference to me who/what organisations Catalonia join. The issues facing whether they can or can't join was not referenced by me.

[SixInTheBed]

Eìre should only be used if you speaking/documenting in Irish ( or collecting stamps).

It should never be used by UK politicians, media or anyone unless they are speaking Irish, intend to cause offence or are truly ignorant of major political and historic issues. UK officials should not refer to Ireland as the ROI either.

Ireland is the official name of the state of Ireland. The ROI is a legal definition of the state. The Republic of Ireland is not the official name of the State of Ireland.

Irish people can call themselves whatever the hell they like ( see GFA)

Language, names have power. They give meaning, identity and status to countries and people. This is a big deal. For example, for anyone from that neck of the woods , Ukraine is, well , Ukraine, and not the Ukraine.

Think it might be just so much easier if we were just all European or something. Then no one can deliberately or inadvertently cause offence and we could work and live together in peace and co operation. Shame no one ever thought of that

[scaryteacher]

Fake Yes, my point exactly, it could have been a lot worse, it could still be ongoing and could kick off again. And I don't think any of it was 'good and I think it was a diplomatic miracle it was ended. Thank god. What planet are you on? It couldn't have got much worse, and it wasn't ended diplomatically, it took NATO intervention and a lot of TLAMs to stop it.

This is from Wikipedia:
'Often described as Europe's deadliest conflicts since World War II, the wars were marked by many war crimes, including ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and rape. The Bosnian genocide was the first European crime since World War II to be formally judged as genocidal in character and many key individual participants were subsequently charged with war crimes.[21] The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was established by the UN to prosecute these crimes.[22]

According to the International Center for Transitional Justice, the Yugoslav Wars resulted in the death of 140,000 people.[1] The Humanitarian Law Center estimates that in the conflicts in the former Yugoslav republics at least 130,000 people were killed.[2]

Do tell how it could have been a lot worse?

[mountford100]

I would be surprised if my mum knew that Six , she came to England when she was eight she is 71 now !

[PerkingFaintly]

Still, never mind, OP. At least you know lots about Crimea.

[mountford100]

Your very funny, i bet John Bishop is worrying about his job.

[mountford100]

You are just what ITV are looking for a new stand up show.

[MargaretTwatyer]

In some ways it's beneficial for the EU. Better to have a new country clamouring to get in than speculation about which will be the next country to go out....

[SixInTheBed]

Margaret I really think there is no speculation about which will be the next country to go. The car crash that is Brexit is the perfect deterrent.

[SixInTheBed]

Baby that's an interesting chart but I'm not sure if I'd rely on it , given the section about nationalism in NI references the tiny ten people at a push group who support Ulster as an independent state , with no mention of the other, rather larger and more active nationalist groups, although I see where they were going with it

Leaving that aside I understand many of these groups would continue to support membership of the EU, so even if state borders were redrawn they would still want to remain part of the wider union.

[SixInTheBed]

Yes, would agree with you on that for sure Baby. Can't see the EU breaking ranks on that .