So when I’m thinking about ending western imperialism one of the first institutions that is a major block is the EU. Not only does it facilitate global exploitation in favor of the global north, but it also forces austerity in Europe and my understanding is that you literally cannot be a socialist government in the EU- this is not something we can change/take power of, but something that must be ended entirely.

In terms of the current crisis, the EU is leading the charge to essentially rid Europe of all Russian energy. As someone who does not and has never lived in Europe, I’m wondering if I’m witnessing the beginning of the end for the EU and how easy or realistic it would be for countries to escape its grasp. I would also like to extend the time frame we’re looking at a bit- if this crisis doesn’t directly cause people to leave the EU this winter it could still cause it down the line. It just comes down to how decoupled Russia and China become from the west at the end of all this. Especially 10 years down the line, it is inevitable many countries side with China over the US if they’re forced to choose just 1. That’s not even including the amount of countries that are totally fucked without Russian gas. I just don’t get how the EU could maintain itself through such a crisis, a self caused one at that.

  • @knfrmity
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    202 years ago

    I’m not sure that there’s a big enough anti-EU movement at the moment, and where a small group springs up there are plenty of people willing to knock them on the head. Most people, at least where I’m at in the EU core, still think that the energy and inflation crises are Putin’s fault. Maybe our government isn’t doing the best, but they’ve been dealt a shitty hand and they’re doing their best. Even the member states which were previously closest to openly consider leaving (in my view Hungary and Poland) seem to be playing along with current EU policy. People who simply protest against rising energy costs and shortages are being treated by media as Russian agents and genocide deniers.

    It’s true that the EU is anti-communist, neoliberal, and undemocratic by design. It must be dismantled just like any other reactionary institution. I just don’t see it happening all that quickly, but maybe this winter will set things in motion.

  • @frippa@lemmy.ml
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    172 years ago

    I paid 600 euros for light this 3month period and I paid a third before, if nothing happens shit will go wild and we are partially seeing this

  • @NothingButBits
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    162 years ago

    One can only hope. The EU is a corporate organization and a critical strategic zone for US imperialism. It’s destruction will probably cause some countries to start gravitating towards Russia.

  • @lil_tank
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    2 years ago

    One problem that is rarely mentioned is that the liberal establishment have successfully built an image of EU criticism as a right-wing talking point. Basically the far-right populists took all the anti-EU space during the cursed decades where major “left” parties were actively promoting the EU (that was the rise of “social-liberalism”).

    It’s so fucked up, the euro left abandoned the proletariat so hard that we now have a prominent nazbol-like movement that constantly pushes the idea that they are “the closest to the people” because they fed on the vacuum let by communist parties.

    Disclaimer: This is mostly true for France idk too well about other countries but I know that AfD, the Italian right and the Tories push anti-EU rhetoric

  • @HaSch
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    2 years ago

    As someone who hopes to return to uni at some point, if the EU breaks up, scientific research particularly here in Germany is fucked big time, and when you look at the number of resigning heads of government all over Europe, this is a real possibility. There hardly remains any national infrastructure to fund, commission, and organise science; what is left mostly comes down to the DFG and the Max Planck society. Wherever you go on campus, you always see EU flags on research posters, on flagpoles, at events; rarely state flags, never the national flag. Perhaps old professors can still remember and fathom what science at German universities could look like in a national context, I and most people I know cannot. There could be a slim chance applied research can to an extent be continued in a similar manner through international corporate grants, pure research surely won’t. German, French, Italian, Spanish academia - pardon these figures of speech - would all descend into chaos and obscurity.

    Instead of putting our research in the hands of a specialised worldwide institution independent of daily-political gusto, instead of at least delegating basic responsibilities away from a body as notoriously unstable and opaque as the EU onto literally any other level, our government chose to double down on the lunacy that scientists and doctors in one city should have to follow 26 election cycles to worry about whether they can get their lab equipment before their grant ends

  • @OrnluWolfjarl
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    152 years ago

    The EU is a prison for the proletariat. The countries that suffer the most under EU-imposed austerity, catastrophic policies and Euro-related economic crises are also the most dependent on the EU. Meaning, the bourgeoise in those countries benefits massively from the EU.

    Corporations and governments gain a lot of subsidies from schemes painted as promoting “investement”, “research” and “education”. The economies of those countries rely a lot on imports and tourism, which is boosted by the EU free travel and tarrif-free transport of goods. Free travel also increases the labour pool, which promotes low wages.

    Just look at the Greek referendum to deny austerity measures. The majority of people voted against austerity. The government was voted in on exactly this platform. But threats from the EU and subsequent pressure from the Greek elites forced the government to go against the will of the people and plunge the country in poverty.

  • Bury The Right
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    2 years ago

    I don’t know, but probably not. I could see Turkey potentially leaving NATO though.

  • Kaffe
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    122 years ago

    I don’t think they’ll leave the EU. I think at least one state could just collapse though.

    • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆
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      152 years ago

      Hungary looks like it may end up leaving because they refuse to toe the line on energy sanctions, and now there’s talk of removing power of veto from members. If that happens, I think Hungary will take their chances with Russia rather than risk economic collapse like the rest of EU.

      And once once member leaves that establishes a precedent for others to follow. This winter is projected to be an absolute horror show in Europe, and it’s likely that we’ll see regime changes happen as a result of mass uprisings.

  • @carpe_modo
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    122 years ago

    This is pessimistic, but I think ww3 is still more likely. The energy crisis is already portrayed as an act of aggression by Russia, and it could easily be used as justification for war with the rising fascist movements in the west. The US is already trying to pick a fight with China, too. And Russia and China have declared themselves allies without limit(I don’t think I got the phrase right).

  • @cfgaussian
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    112 years ago

    No i don’t think it can happen. Not in the short term. There is just absolutely no impetus for it, all the elites are pro EU. Hungary may be the only exception but even there i highly doubt it because they just don’t have a choice really. They depend economically on the EU too much. But maybe an anti-EU movement will be created by this crisis and that could grow over the next few years. If it does happen it will be a long process, things will be bad for a long time.

    • @Cysioland
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      2 years ago

      But maybe an anti-EU movement will be created by this crisis and that could grow over the next few years.

      I doubt that it’ll be a genuine working class movement though, seeing how the primary anti-EU force in countries like Poland or Hungary is right-wing reactionary. And that’s what I’m afraid of as well, that it’ll be used to strip away the “leftie” (in the right-wing populist lens) elements of the EU, like eg. consumer protection or these meager fucking scraps of rights for minorities.

      • @PolandIsAStateOfMind
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        2 years ago

        Yeah, as one poster above mentions, anti-EU topic is portrayed as far-right… but not without reason, overwhelming amount of anti-EU voices heard are far right. In Poland there is basically no left heard at all anywhere. And liberals and conservatists, even the protofash like PiS are pro-EU (no matter how much they whine, it’s completely empty). Which means that actually realistic prospect of leaving EU require either complete collapse of said intitution or hard turn right for the dominant political power… hard turn right from what already is protofash.