Emmanuel Macron has hit back at Donald Trump’s latest threats to impose tariffs on any country opposing his Greenland takeover, warning that “no amount of intimidation” will persuade European nations to change their course on Greenland.
He was echoed by the Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, who warned the EU would not be “blackmailed” by the US president, who on Saturday announced 10% tariffs on eight European countries from 1 February, with a further 25% tariff from 1 June.
In a joint statement, EU leaders said “tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral”.
It is highly likely that the European parliament will halt ratification of last summer’s trade deal with the US after Manfred Weber, the head of the European People’s party, the largest voting bloc in the institute, said they would have to pause the legal rubber stamping process.
I hear the working class in the EU is having troubles with inflation and housing.
Here in the UK it’s pretty fucked. I earn a fairly low wage, and I live in a van because housing is so expensive. I could just about afford to pay rent, but I couldn’t afford much else. The van thing isn’t ideal - I’m in my 50s, hot summers and cold winters are challenging - but this is the only way I can afford to be able to do stuff and even save a bit.
UK is not in EU.
UK has lost about 7.5-10% of their economic potential due to Brexit. Incidentally exactly as I warned would happen during the campaign for the Brexit election, where I warned the UK economy could decline up to 1% per year compared to remaining. Turns out I was pretty much spot on. My guess is this has hit the lower paid workers harder than average, because that is generally the nature of such things, unless there is political will to prevent it. But in situations with tighter economy, such political will almost always evaporates.
For UK workers overall this is a self inflicted wound. But of course if you voted remain, this was inflicted upon you by your countrymen. UK is in a special situation, and can not be used as an example for the rest of Europe.
Hopefully we will see this effect decrease, as UK forms new agreements with EU, and the economy settles on a natural level for the new conditions.
Yeah, I voted remain and like you I could clearly see the harm that leaving the EU would cause, but I couldn’t get the leave voters in my life to listen - so fuckin frustrating! And yeah, it’s hit lower paid workers harder, and even those who’ve had pay rises have rarely had ‘rises’ that meet inflation.
For me there was also the added element that I very much appreciated freedom of movement. I’ve lived and worked and had relationships and made myself at home in several EU countries and I intended to do so again in the future. So few people seemed to value the incredible opportunity this was - fuck off abroad, get a job and a flat, learn the language, make a home. Now I can only spend I think 90 out of any 180 day period in an EU country because of all those dimwitted bigots who voted leave.
I don’t think I’ll ever stop feeling angry about this.
I 100% get that, it was a moronic decision IMO.
Inflation is an aftermath of Covid, Covid was a major economic challenge everywhere, this was made worse in EU and prolonged because Russia tried to strong-arm EU by closing off the gas. Which meant that EU was forced to source this energy from elsewhere, increasing prices on warming for houses for many people. But people are still paid livable wages in EU unlike in USA. There is always struggle for workers to get their fair share, difference is that in EU this struggle is on a much more even playing field than it is in USA, and AFAIK anywhere else in the world.
There is no class war in either USA or EU, there isn’t in USA because Americans aren’t fighting for their rights.
And there isn’t in EU because workers did fight for it, and we have won the necessary rights that prevent us from getting choked.
There is of course always debate on how the money of society as a whole should be shared. And in EU workers actually have significant political power in that debate, where in USA they don’t.
So apart from a livable wage, we have for instance free healthcare and education, something many Americans dream of.
Romania is among the poorer EU countries, but they have the highest home ownership in EU.
So at least I think I can say with good certainty that we don’t have an EU wide housing crisis.
With major infra structure variables like housing there will always “trouble” show me a country that is completely without problems regarding housing.
In EU the situation today is certainly way better than it was back in the 70’s in most countries, where in USA it’s the exact opposite.
I don’t think you understand what “class war” means. (1) One class can be fighting it while the other class is not. See Americans for an example.
(2) There is no “end” to class war when the working class “gets a living wage”. The capitalist class will always chip away at your wage and social programs. They are doing that now in Europe.
You don’t understand what I was even referring to when talking about class conflict. Here is a test: do you think “class” is dependent on how much money you make? If the answer is “yes, a Doctor is clearly of a different class than a janitor” then you have no idea what I’m talking about.
The way you talk about it makes me think you are just misunderstanding what I was talking about at a fundamental level.
I’m talking about class in the Marxist sense.
Oh yeah? But do you have the highest incarcerated levels? You probably don’t even have school shootings.
But I don’t think Trump has had much influence on that honestly. Housing is getting super expensive for years and the prices just never stopped rising and inflation is largely a result of Putin’s war in the Ukraine.