Very interesting topic Yorick, and one that caused a stir if Iīm not totally wrong a few months ago as TL mentioned.
Personally Iīm rather skeptic to an all united European country. Why? Because I come from a country with a rather small population, and I see alot that differ from Sweden, even Scandinavian mindset, when traveling and speaking with the rest of Europe. I have had the pleasure to visit most countries in Europe and I will try to mark of the last ones as well sometime in the future.
But the main thing is that Sweden will be close to disapear totally in Europe. We would be controlled economicly by other countries currancies and we have no say any longer. We are far away from the European mindset up here in the North. Well some of us are. Some believe, some do not. I do actually like most of the way we are conducting our own country here without interferance from the rest of Europe. I might be a skeptical person but still, Sweden is by percent, read that again ok, who has one of the largest immigrant quotes in the world. Well I know you will probably say eh? How can that be? Maybe cause we are very few up here, and I for one will vote and believe in Sweden being Sweden, not me becomming a European. I like our social laws alot more then most of the countries, even though most up here believe they are falling short of what they should be and have been. In a sense some of us are already drawing the conclusion that we are getting it worse the more we are closing in on Europe.
The EMU and the common market is perhaps a nice idea, but too many are rushing into it. For us it woul mean we loose the power to do something about the economical situation in our own country. And to me, that is not a gain. We sure have a huge commerce with Europe, but we also trade alot with USA, Canada, Asia and world. So why not take on the dollar instead? For us, that would probably be a better choice. *Sarcasm can be put here*
I can understand that US likes to see EU as europe and one vote one voice. However, you should have realised after the Iraq war that this is not the case. We have countries that are NATO, former Warzaw pact and Neutral in Europe. Some are not members of EU and are still members of Nato. Europe is not a nation, not a gathering of nations under one president, one law.
I donīt speak for alot of people, but I still like to make my voice heard. And for me, that is not to become a European. It is heard by being a Swede.