Euro briefing for Barack

We got some free advice from Barack this week via his most senior diplomat Philip Gordon. Mr Gordon said during a visit to London, "We want to see a strong British voice in that European Union. That is in the American interest."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/09/us-warns-uk-european-union

The US are obviously keen for us to stay in the EU and Dave contemplates how to renegotiate our terms with the EU he should remember why the EU needs us:

1.     All the countries of the EU need us to interpret for the American's (not that the American's understand us Brits, most of them think we are still living in the Edwardian era - Downton Abbey)

2.       The French need us as counter balance for the German supremacy (we are the second largest economy in Europe and without us Germany would be too dominant)

3.       The Germans need us to control the profligate spending of the French and PIGS (weakend economies in Portugal, Italy, Grerce and Spain)

4.       The Italians need us as an export market - who else Buys Fiat cars and Electrolux

5.       The Spanish need us to prop-up their property market

6.       The Dutch need us because we jointly own their two largest companies (Shell and Unilever)

7.       Belgium need us because no one else cares about them

8.     The poles need us in case the German's invade again

9.       The rest don’t count

 

 

And as the map shows - WE ARE IN EUROPE - even if we are the colour purple (unwanted, unloved but over here)! Interestingly when asked if they were satisfied with the direction the European Union is taking most countries are as negative as the Brits