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with the recent crisis, and Iceland being one of the worse hit countries, do you think that they will make the move anytime soon to join EU, or not...?? what do you think....?? what do you want...?? :-P

Iceland, before this crisis occurred, used to be one of the most independent countries in the European region. Up to the moment I doubt they wanted to join EU. But now, the crisis has made the prices in Iceland double. It brought its economy to a real failure. Russia carries out negotiations with Iceland about giving it a support of several billion dollars.
EU also helps Iceland with this crisis. So, there is one possible outcome here: if Iceland accepts the support from Russia, this means it will become a kind of partner for Russia and will farther move away from EU. Thus, the joining might never take place.

I think Iceland is a very isolated country, where it has very less contact with the EU in the last couple of years and I also doubted that they will join EU soon...

Iceland lives its own separated-from-the-world life. It needs nothing and gives nothing to the world. I resepct this country for their neutrality. Still, if this crisis keeps going on, Iceland will have to seek for solutions, and its joining to EU is a solution.

Terry Wrote:Iceland lives its own separated-from-the-world life. It needs nothing and gives nothing to the world. I resepct this country for their neutrality. Still, if this crisis keeps going on, Iceland will have to seek for solutions, and its joining to EU is a solution.

i agree..even their most famous songer Bjork said recently in one conference in Brussels that iceland must join EU....and they want to join the euro...until now they were seking to join the euro without joining EU...but as EU made it clear to them,that they have to join EU in order to join the euro, they have second thoughts......i would not be surprised to see them joining with or right after croatia.....

Is it possible to have euro as basic currency without joining the EU? Implementing euro in a country means that its economy will function and will have to be harmonized with the European one, in other words this means an economic merging with the EU.

Benn Wrote:Is it possible to have euro as basic currency without joining the EU? Implementing euro in a country means that its economy will function and will have to be harmonized with the European one, in other words this means an economic merging with the EU.

agree...that is what i am talking about....

Iceland citizens consider that after they join the EU, the country's development will stop. That is because they consider it very much expensive to follow EU's exigencies. Iceland economy surpasses many other European (especially the new ones).

Benn Wrote:Iceland citizens consider that after they join the EU, the country's development will stop. That is because they consider it very much expensive to follow EU's exigencies. Iceland economy surpasses many other European (especially the new ones).

until now that is..recent polls show that 70 % of the population favours EU membership now,after the crisis.....

so again, the EU is watched not as a set of privileged social part of the world. People see the financial/econoic salvation in EU. That's not encouraging too much the European authorities to act on their favour.

Benn Wrote:so again, the EU is watched not as a set of privileged social part of the world. People see the financial/econoic salvation in EU. That's not encouraging too much the European authorities to act on their favour.

I do not see it like that...rather like a slap in the face...a wake up call for some...but i see what you mean...and EU should push for poltical integration too....it is and should be a political project as well....

the problem is that the current states that will to join the EU do not actually want to join it politically. They want the welfare and all economic facilities that come from here... Other branches are only a formality.

Steven Wrote:the problem is that the current states that will to join the EU do not actually want to join it politically. They want the welfare and all economic facilities that come from here... Other branches are only a formality.

that is true.....and sad....EU should make it clear on them...enough with czech republic and it's president mr klaus....one is enough....

the cost of the world crisis will cost Iceland about 1.1 TRILLION Icelandic, which is about $9.4 billion. This amount should make Iceland start thinking about joining the EU, otherwise it could suffer a total collapse.

I really hope they don't need to join. It is not a good base of membership when You
are for economical reasons forced to join. EU should have some kind of partnership
programs for countries - so that they can avoid being isolated if they don't join.

All the Icelandic banks have been nationalalized. This was a reasonable action from the government's part, otherwise we could have witnessed a total collapse of their economy.