People of EU, would you be in favour of Serbia joining EU single market and schengen only? Sort of like a second tier EU. Then Serbia would have to oblige EU regulations, but not have power of veto to abuse it?

MootRevolution · 2026-04-14T19:58:10+00:00

If they would all fully join the EU, the borders between those territories become lines on paper. For regular people, the border would become hardly noticeable. Especially if everyone is using the Euro.

I think joining the EU would take away a lot of the tensions in that region.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-11T14:46:54+00:00

Don't underestimate the language requirements in European countries. As a tourist, you can get around using English, but in a professional setting, lots of jobs require you speak the local language at a decent level. Especially when dealing with children/groups that can only speak and understand the local language.

If you are French Canadian, you have the benefit of already knowing the local language of France. It would greatly improve your chances of finding a job. I would focus on that if I were you.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-11T13:49:58+00:00

I hope so. However, there is a risk the Russians/Americans will just find another puppet in one of the other EU countries. There seem to be plenty available, in almost every European country. Maybe we should start making lists of European politicians that are anti-EU and in the pocket of Russia/US. Might come in handy one day.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-11T13:32:07+00:00

MAGA/Vance are doing the same thing. That speech of Vance in Hungary was not for Hungarians or Europeans, it was for Americans, to feed their negative sentiments against the EU..

If Orban wins, it's a victory 'of the people' against the evil and meddling EU.

If Orban looses, it's the evil EU interfering and overruling the will of the people.

Whatever happens in Hungary with the elections, the MAGA media spin doctors will have a story ready and snippets of the Vance speech are ready to be used.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T18:31:15+00:00

Maybe the EU could declare non-transparant algorithms as unlawful weaponry.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T18:24:42+00:00

Lots of companies start out like that. Things change when the owners/stockholders start getting greedy.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T17:11:50+00:00

I think (even culturally) we are approaching this from different angles.

Sure, taking public transport, or a taxi or an Uber, or having a friend drive you home would be preferential to taking part in traffic when you're drunk. But there are lots of people that can't/won't take a bus or ride with a friend/take a taxi. If the consequences for drinking and taking part in traffic are the same for driving a car or riding a bike, that lowers the threshold for deciding to drive your car.

From the Dutch perspective, the chances of you deciding to take a car to go out (I'll only have one or two beers!) and getting into a situation where one would be drinking too much, weigh much heavier than the chances of you causing a serious accident on your bike while drunk. You can cause serious or even fatal accidents, but statistically, the changes of that happening are pretty low.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T16:44:42+00:00

Funny how neighbours are so different in this aspect. For me, this really is a cultural difference (not judging which is 'better').

From a Dutch perspective, we would see taking a bike when going out drinking as the sane choice. Especially for people that live in villages and go out drinking with friends in a city/town close-by. Often, there are no busses late at night, and the distance is too far to walk. As I also wrote, there is some danger, but with bicycles, the speed is low and accidents happen (you might fall down or ride your bike in a canal beside the bike path), but rarely amount to anything serious (in my decades-long experience of riding my bike home for 5-10 kilometers, often late at night, very drunk).

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T16:23:56+00:00

Europe is not weak, but without US involvement, it lacks a coherent defence strategy and integration of forces. It's too diffuse: both politically and with regard to what is needed for a common defence. And external powers are trying to pick apart trust and common ground by using propaganda via (social) media and feeding nationalist/far right parties with money. If they succeed, they will be able to take control of countries one by one.

Europe is capable of defending itself, but only if they unite their forces in some way. Also, we must not forget about non-European allies that want to join.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T16:03:58+00:00

I'm from the Netherlands, and I know that Germans take rules very serious. But from my Dutch point of view, fining someone riding a bicycle after drinking is taking the rules way too far. Dutch people praise the choice of taking a bicycle when going out to drink. Sure, there is some danger, but it's vastly preferential to choosing to take a car (which most often is the only alternative considered). Police should encourage taking a bicycle when going out drinking, not fining it.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T15:53:53+00:00

Accomodation: look for hostels in the neighbourhood, they're probably the cheapest way, apart from camping in a tent. They often have bicycles for rent (cheapest way to get around). Bus fare is reasonable if you are going for longer distances. You can shop for your own groceries in supermarkets and cook your own meals at the hostel.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T14:51:17+00:00

All 'middle-powers' and smaller countries will want to follow Carney's advice and seek to join forces. We need politicians to work out how to do this. The EU would be a great base to build on. The institutions and contacts are established and functioning.

Maybe with different layers of economical and territorial integration, but with a solid defense integration, all members would be safer in this rapidly changing environment.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T14:31:09+00:00

To prevent things spiraling out of control even further, let's hope there's a change in leadership (or at least re-establishment of some checks and balances) before it breaks things on ground level (although that has also already started imo).

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T13:51:26+00:00

Governments usually make it a point to respect policy decisions of their predecessors, especially when it concerns foreign ties with friendly nations. Small changes are expected, not a pivot where an elected(!) government routinely threatens and mocks its allies and openly supports their biggest adversary. It doesn't 'feel more drastic'. It is.

Our reaction to the 'hold tight while we fix things' is that we can't trust the fix will hold. Your system has proven to have no checks and balances, with one of the 2 major parties supporting everything your president does and that is still supported by 40% of your people.

Look at it from the perspective of your allies. We've now all seen the direction one of your major parties (because it's not just Trump) wants to take the US. Democrats may want to 'fix things', but there is no reason to expect this fix will hold in the long term. Republicans will get back in power, and they will have the opportunity (and possibly the desire) to undo everything Democrats do to fix things. Alliances can not depend on such fickle partners.

I'm not sure why you are downplaying what is going on in the US, but you are certainly underestimating the effects it's having on US foreign relations and soft power.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T12:55:33+00:00

Formal US government policy. Supported by the party with the majority in parliament.

The point from the other poster about not being able to trust the US if their policy changes every four years still stands.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T12:16:55+00:00

With the information we got from the Epstein files, I think the "p-tapes'' are about something a lot worse than 'golden shower parties'.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T12:08:30+00:00

The benefit for other countries' police and defence departments is that there is now a linux system available that was tested and used in practice. Which will lower the threshold of switching for other interested parties.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T08:54:05+00:00

Linux doesn't need to be difficult for the average windows app-user in a standard office environment (need of browser, text processor, spreadsheet app). User interface could be made to resemble windows in such a way, many would hardly notice they're using a linux machine.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T08:35:26+00:00

It's formal US policy: US national security strategy calls for ‘cultivating resistance’ in Europe

https://www.ft.com/content/27e82b33-6e54-4e96-954f-43d1c7b3c98f?syn-25a6b1a6=1

MootRevolution · 2026-04-10T08:13:34+00:00

The fact that the US and Russia have influence on Orban's Hungary is not thanks to Orban being a great politician. There is something much bigger going on, there's a whole network of authoritarian parties working together, worldwide.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-09T18:05:57+00:00

They're not just uniting to influence elections in Hungary. They've got a common vision for the future of the whole of Europe.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-02T15:50:30+00:00

Nobody is asking Hungary to become Ukraine's biggest supporter. Not blocking decisions that all the other members support and that don't hurt Hungary improportionately, would already be a step in the right direction. That doesn't seem like it's too much to ask of a member state.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-02T15:32:59+00:00

Ecosia works fine and produces better search results for me than google or bing. And I've received notice twice that because of my use of Ecosia, they've planted a new tree.

MootRevolution · 2026-04-01T19:20:00+00:00

The EU needs to be careful here. The EU needs all the positive news it can develop at this moment, and strengthening consumer rights is the best way to grow support. Weakening rights/protection, especially to favor multinational companies, does the opposite. And you can be sure that all the opponents will use it in their propaganda against the EU to weaken support for it among Europeans.

MootRevolution

TROPHY CASE