By Euro Weekly News Media • Published: 21 Jan 2016 • 9:11
Mega investor George Soros.
In an interview with the New York Review of Books for their February 2016 issue, Hungarian-born American business magnate and philanthropist George Soros claims the EU is now faced with several crises that threaten “the values and principles on which the European Union was founded.”
A Holocaust survivor and known advocate of open borders, Soros names the current threats as Greece´s continued economic instability, Russia´s annexing of the Crimea, the coming British referendum on Brexit, the migration crisis, the conflict in Syria and the terror attacks in Paris in November 2015, which he claims have taken their toll on European public opinion.
He also mentions opposition and resentment towards Angela Merkel´s vision for a borderless Europe from leaders of Poland and Hungary, Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Viktor Orban, accusing the latter, who closed the borders of Hungary, of being partly to blame for the flood of migrants to enter Europe “while the doors are still open.”
Member states who have acted purely in their own self-interests, he claims, have “precipitated panic among asylum seekers, the general public, and the authorities responsible for law and order.”
He describes Poland as “one of the most successful countries in Europe, both politically and economically,” but argues that the country´s current leadership are “hostile to the principles on which the European Union was founded” and accuses them of exploiting a powerful “mix of ethnic and religious nationalism.”
A strong opponent of Brexit, Soros revealed the reasoning behind his stance by saying that “An EU without the UK would be a much weaker union,” and also that Britain should remain in Europe for “economic but even more for political reasons.”
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The sooner the UK is out the better for the UK and the majority of British people, those that object tend to be politicians or quangos that make money from being in it but then as I have mentioned before, first and foremost on politicians minds should be the UK and the British people rather than their pockets and egos.
Personally I think the sooner it goes bang the better, the EU should have been nothing more than the EEC that British voters voted for. The EU as it is has become a vile, misguided, uneconomic, mostly useless, bureaucratic mess run by greedy corrupt politicians who are confused and as I mentioned…. greedy, they have no idea and verge on behaving similar to a mafia. The EU as it is now, should or is supposed to be run a democratic group of politicians from member countries that can sort out issues when they need to and as they need to, what they have shown is they have no idea how to sort out issues and that one person that is part of this supposedly democratic group can make a stupid public statement that throws the whole of the EU into turmoil, that EU politician then pressurises and threatens other EU members for not helping to sort out the mess they created through their stupidity, great way to run a European Union!Do not listen to anyone that says the UK needs to be a member of the EU because it does not and nor will it harm the UK not being a member, the UK not being a member will not do the EU any good but then that is not the UKs problem, if those people that ran the EU did so properly as an union should be expected to run with common sense and democratically then maybe there would be more chance of that union not loosing the UK.
People who know me know that I forcasted a long time ago that the European Union would collapse and with it the Euro. We voted to trade together and no more! !.
George Soros has his fingers in many pies. He is a very clever man. His base line is his own self interest as shown by his devious funding of groups he publicly denigrates.The quotes above make sense until he recommends the UK staying in the EU. Self interest is kicking in here. He has far greater control of what goes on in Europe than he would if Britain left.
Exactly, We were a strong nation before we were taking illegally into the Common Market. All the treaties signed are highly illegal and should be torn up without delay. A referendum simply compounds Heath’s initial treason and ECA72 should be torn to shreds.
as I see it uk does exactly what it wants to do and ignores eu policies – example the paying of wfa to people abroad – no one takes into account climatisationwhen I first came here it was warm but a two degree drop in temperature I felt and it was always colder between 4 and 6am – now it is freezing here in winter,Britains was told to pay us wfa and I got it for three years now how can they ignore the ruling of the european court?kay
The unelected and undemocratic European Commission was perhaps the biggest mistake in the setting up of the EU. Appointing commissioners like Peter Mandelson in the past left the likes of Tony Blair open to accusations of cronyism. The democratically elected European Parliament does not have the REAL power. That lies with the crony commissioners who are also paid way too much money for what they do. Until the EU becomes TRULY democratic and holds them to account it will always be flawed.
However quitting the EU should come with a health warning. As UK citizens living in Spain – whether registered as Spanish Residents or not – we would automatically lose all our legal rights to equal treatment by the Spanish authorities. We would become second class citizens here in Spain, behind the likes of Polish and Romanian citizens who would retain their full rights as EU members. Look it up if you don’t believe me. So beware. We leave the EU at our peril.
Nonsense !!! Spain could Ill afford to upset ex pats in Spain as without them their economy would suffer and they know it…..
Sorry Noel. You’re wrong. It’s not up to Spain. It’s EU rules. That pretty little Bulgarian or Romanian waitress who served drinks in the hotel bar last night would have more rights than you if the UK votes to quit the EU. She’d have better and cheaper access to Spanish healthcare if she had an accident or fell ill. She’d have better legal protection. She wouldn’t need to apply for a costly visa to go along with her passport. She would enjoy all sorts of benefits that you would lose.ÃÂ The in/out referendum could be as early as June this year according to some reports and definitely before the end of next year as Cameron has declared. The wake-up call has arrive
To put it more clearly, currently if you’re from countries like Afghanistan to Zimbabwe (note the A to Z) that are NOT in the EU you need a visa to live in Spain. EU citizens (eg UK) do not. So if the UK were to be no longer in the EU it follows as sure as night follows day that you would need a visa. Simples! You’d be in the same class as Afghanistan and Zimbabwe – automatically! As I say, look it up if you don’t believe me. You could not seriously expect to leave the EU, if you are still living in an EU country like Spain, and expect everything to stay the same! And a visa is just one example of many things that would change.
Rubbish, we didn’t need visas before and we won’t need them if the UK left the EU… that will not happen unless in the future they requested it. I think you and other people need to understand the EU needs UK trade, they might threaten to scare people but they will not take a chance on loosing our business!
I have lived here from before Spain was in EU, had a residencia since before, paid social security since before and I didn’t give someone a backhander to get that, people will still be able to live here, granted it might not be as simple as it was but then as stupid as I think Spanish politicians are I would doubt they to be that stupid as to shut the door to one of the very few things that support trie economy.
I disagree, I wouldn’t worry about loosing legal rights here, you might think you have them but unless you are under 40 and will live long enough for anything to get to court its not worth going there. I have been there 3 times and generally took 5 to 6 years, got nothing, cost me money in more ways than one and the ‘Spanish’ guilty ones got no punishment. Now if anything happens and I can’t sort it out in a couple of calls then I wouldn’t even bother… EU country… sad.The Priors several years ago had their house demolished, living in a garage since, courts declared the act illegal, compensation offered was an insult. MEPS pushed this and other cases in Brussels and they looked at them as if they had trees growing out of their ears, several years on and EU hasn’t said or done anything, nothing going to be lost with legal support I promise you.All scaremongering, what people will loose in Spain because of being in the EU they don’t get anyway apart from a quick residence permit but the Spanish politicians would be more stupid than I think they are if they made it difficult for the people who are a main source of their economy to live here.Iceland, Norway and others are in in the EU and they do not need a visa, do you really think that the British will?
“…do you really think that the British will?” What I THINK, Mike, is of no importance. Honestly it’s not. What may actually HAPPEN though is.
I’m fully aware of how the Priors were singled out and and all the other sorts of issues as you are. I’m also sorry to hear about your own misfortunes. However, the original EWN article was about Soros’ warnings over the EU and I’m sorry to say basically the man is mostly right. I will always be among the first to cite all the things that are wrong with the EU but I think we need to stay in it to fix it. Standing outside shouting at it won’t achieve anything.
The future is always uncertain. Of course it is. But complacency over the possibility of leaving the EU would not be a good thing. And I’m encountering complacency everywhere. That is not to say YOU are being complacent, but some others are. I repeat, no one should seriously expect to leave the EU and find everything the same as before here in Spain. Changes would be inevitable. Some ex-pats will give up and go back to Britain. Many have done so already. I find that sad, because for all its faults, this is a wonderful country to live in.
For all it’s faults the EU gives us better security. It got the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize for contributing to 6 decades of peace within Europe (now 7). Just think of all the previous wars and invasions throughout Europe includingÃÂ two devastating world wars that both began here. It’s no accident they don’t happen now.
BUT. What about Putin’s recent annexation of Crimea and his ongoing war with eastern Ukraine? After 70 years of peace the threats remain. If we allow the Union to fall as Soros predicts then our security becomes deeply damaged. The Syrian war and consequent refugee crisis is a massive strain, but if Britain quits just as things are heating up that could trigger others to quit too.
Furthermore if Britain leaves Europe it risks breaking ÃÂ up the UK! In the general election the SNP captured 56 of 59 seats and declared a mandate to vote on quitting the UK (again) if the UK quits Europe. In these uncertain times the worst thing we could do is quit Europe. Man the battlements! Pull up the drawbridge!
Stop scaremongering Brian, I don’t care what Nobel peace price it got, that is probably as corrupt as everything else run by committees, tell me, what will it be handing out for creating civil unrest in most of Europe because of the immigration mess? We haven’t no had a 3rd world war in Europe because of the EU so you can chuck that stupidity in the bin!
Well if Scotland want to pull out of the UK thats up to them but I doubt the Scottish people to be that stupid in all honestly, just because a couple of silly idiot Scottish politicians use that to scare people with doesn’t mean it will happen, personally I think she will loose the Scottish vote when it comes to a crunch, look what happen to Arthur Mass when he thought he was the Catalan messiah!
The gains in coming out of the EU are massive compared to the losses so stop scaremongering, you starting to sound like other scaremongers on TV they tried all the big scare tactics and have been shot down and are now desperately pulling at straws to grab public support.
Just as you stand up for staying in I stand up for getting out. The EU is corrupt, uneconomic, indecisive, undemocratic, creates unimaginable bureaucracy for people and businesses, blackmails and doesn’t listen to people when it doesn’t want to… in 20 years time it will be a lot different, yes and not for the better, for the worse!
No everything won’t be the same in Spain if the UK are not in the EU but it will not be as bad as people like you make out!
There are many countries not in the EU but they trade and have free access to EU countries, it is not rocket science and countries will not let their economy suffer by creating problems with the UK. Is China in the EU? No but they have tax incentives in Spain, the import duty on their goods is practically zero and they are flourishing in Spain… if China and other countries out of the EU can do it then the UK can too.
BUT. What about Putin’s recent annexation of Crimea and his ongoing war with eastern Ukraine? After 70 years of peace the threats remain. If we allow the Union to fall as Soros predicts then our security becomes deeply damaged. The Syrian war and consequent refugee crisis is a massive strain, but if Britain quits just as things are heating up that could trigger others to quit too.’
The UK has never actually taken from the EU, it has always paid in more than it has ever got out, the EU uses money to get new members but the UK ppl just walked into a trap when they where asked to vote on an EEC. An EEC or similar can still exist, countries including those that pull out can sign up for another organisation where they can be together on trade and fight together if needed… we do not need to be in the EU, stop scaremongering.
Hi MikeWow! What astonishing responses – all 3 of them. Piles of accusations of stupidity, scaremongering, and that old chestnut “it’s not rocket science.” Heheh. You’ve even managed to dismiss all those who nominate and award the Nobel Peace Prize as “corrupt”. As I say – Wow!
I stand by everything I’ve alreadyÃÂ written. It all makes perfect sense and I still agree with most of what Soros is saying. You’ve written a huge amount in numerous places but there’s only limited room here and most people will not want to spend ages reading a whole raft of responses so I’ll deal with just one.
Scaremongering? No, I leave that sort of thing to Leapy, bless him. He’s much better at that sort of thing than I’ll ever be. Anyway, there’s a difference between scaremongering and using well researched data. It’s an actual fact we’ve had 70 years of peace within Europe and it’s not accidental. With the world situation as it is right now let me ask you, would it be realistic to expect another 70 years of peace? Don’t know? Let’s ask Leapy. He’ll know. He predicted exactly where we are now 25 years ago. Said it himself. (grin)
I think a lot of daft responses seem to come from you Brian…. you just don’t see it do you, EU countries can still work together, trade together, share different things but they just need to get back to an EEC… not an EU that is a cesspit of corruption, undemocratic, over bureaucratic, uneconomic and run by greedy clowns who try to rule like a mafia…. EU countries can do a lot together but in the way the British people where sold an EEC, only any steps forward would need to be voted on by the ppl of the country and not taken by political clowns.
Soros is still mostly right. I was just trying to use a bit of humour to lighten the moment Mike. You seemed a bit worked up. Being daft sometimes can be fun btw. You should try it sometime.
Ok, clearly you preferred the old EEC to the EU. I got that some time ago. But I still stand by my carefully researched points. I’m not on my own. It is actually widely accepted that the very existence of the European Union has helped to prevent wars that might otherwise have broken out during the past 6 or 7 decades. Churchill himself said he preferred Jaw-Jaw to War-War and you can’t deny there’s a lot of Jaw-Jaw in the EU! (Bit of light humour there.)
You should notice I use phrases and caveats like “for all its faults” etc. when referring to the EU for example. Believe me I’m not blind to your arguments Mike. I’m as aware of them as you are. I just don’t agree with you most of the time – that’s all. So relax. Get used to it.
Believe me Brian I am one of the most laid back and relaxed people you will ever come across.
I disagree with people when they talk about staying in the EU because of certain reasons ‘without listing them here’ when coming out does not mean all the bad that these people paint, there is nothing you or anyone can tell me to make me think it is worth for the UK or it’s people staying in something that is as corrupt and undemocratic as the EU.
I have no children but I do have family and many of them have children, I am pushing on and the EU won’t change my life too much more in my lifetime than it already has but for their sake I do not want the UK to move along with one of the most deceptive, misguided, corrupt and undemocratic political unions to exist. If this is what we ‘The UK’ need to do then I think there is something seriously wrong, we and the UK are better than this ‘as many other member countries are’ and do not need to be a part of such a deceptive scam that the EU or EEC has now become. Just thought I would try to keep you smiling 😉
Hi MikeYep! It’s me again – the ol’ fly in the ointment. Re your statement that you “disagree with people when they talk… (etc)… because of certain reasons without listing them here”. Well if you take the time to read everything I have written in the thread you will see that I have covered most of your points already, some of them in advance of your criticism! Have you read what I have actually written, or just some fantasy version in your head? There’s absolutely no point in simply repeating myself. Go ahead and read them again and tell me if you still think I haven’t cited reasons “without listing them here.”
There is a slight possibility btw that there might be a bit more in this weeks printed edition of EWN when it comes out on Thursday. Not promising anything though. Very hush, hush.
Brian, Nobel Peace Prize for what. Europe stood and watched what went on in Bosnia etc, Murder, Rape, Ethnic Cleansing. Danger for us leaving Europe, wrong, we would be leaving the unellected bureaucrats but still trading with all our neighbours which is what everybody voted for originally and still retain our sovereignty. Brian, don’t forget also our main Ali, the USA…..The sooner the UK is out the better!!!!.
Sorry Noel. The former Yugoslavia before its civil war was never an EU member so your point has nothing to do with mine. The peacekeeping ability within the EU that I refer to obviously applies only to member countries. It has no peacekeeping influence over outsiders, only within. That’s my point. Croatia is a member now but all the other fragmented countries from the former Yugoslavia are not – yet.
Anyway Europe did not just stand and watch as you put it. If you did your homework you would know that NATO and the UN intervened and peacekeeping troops from many countries including the UK became involved – admittedly belatedly and with mixed results – but to say Europe just stood by and watched is a gross underestimation of all the work that went on including calling numerous ceasefires etc.
Here’s an extract from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
It is an intriguing thought: imagine how Europe might look had the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia not disintegrated but, say, merely shed its âÂÂSocialistâ prefix. It would have spared the societies of what are today Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia hundreds of thousands of dead. The European Union would not have looked so divided and impotent in the face of the killing on its doorstep. And the US would not have had to send soldiers to fight on European soil for the first time since World War Ii.
Brian, whether they were in or out is not the point, the rest of Europe just watched it go on. NATO and the UN came in too late. You will not convince me or many million others that want us out of Europe as it is now. Trade, Be Friends, Look Out For Each Other but One State, Never……
Hi NoelPlease consider this. If you are part of a binding union where divisive issues are solved by talking with each other and resolving them by majority vote, is that not better than going to war over those same issues? History shows us that most wars start over fairly simple misunderstandings and lack of communication.ÃÂ My whole point is that the EU by its very existence prevents member countries from going to war with each other. Surely that is obvious? If it breaks up as Soros predicts then we are all the poorer – and at increased risk.ÃÂ Before the EU was created most of the countries that are now members had waged war against each other throughout most of the history of the human race.
Your reference to the ‘Bosnian’ war in this context is bogus because (I repeat) it was not a member of the EU. Remember it’s the EU that is the subject of the EWN article and this discussion – not countries OUTSIDE the EU. You might as well have raised the Vietnam War for all its relevance to the impending EU breakup so please, if you are going to criticise a comment please make sure it is relevant to the news item and the comment itself. Just sayin’.
Ok everyone. Here’s the deal. Syria emptying itself into the EU. Britain likely to quit, retreat into itself, and break up – losing Scotland. EU likely to fragment and fall apart. Putin’s Russia waging war on EU doorstep and getting more and more threatening towards us all the time.
I have a son and a daughter, a young granddaughter, and a grandson on the way. Can any of you tell me, how any of this is going to IMPROVE their safety and security? Thought not.
I think you mean you are the misguided fly that got stuck in the ointment more like! Go on all you want but there not much you have mentioned that is convincing me, there is nothing that has been mentioned that cannot nor could not be accomplished being outside the EU that can be inside it… yet we the UK would control our country as much as we need to without interfering idiots getting involved.
The fact that a political union pays huge pensions to MEPS on retirement ‘on the signed condition they support the EU’ fairly much says it all for me.
Relax Brian, people don’t want to be in the EU, get used to it! 😉
I really don’t think the Scottish are as stupid as pulling out of the UK if we left the EU… except Nicola Sturgeon and her cronies but as I have mentioned before “just so you don’t have to tell me” and if they did then that would be a great shame for the UK and the Scottish people but that would be the Scottish peoples decision. Maybe they could still remain in the UK and negotiate themselves back into the EU if that is what they wanted, they are a country and they have a parliament… food for thought!
Anything that can be done in the EU can be done outside it! Anyway at the rate the EU is going I think your family will be safer out of it than in it, granted that old a****** Blair and his wife didn’t help Britians security much and we can’t wind the clock back but the EU is taking things to the next level.
If a table is well glued together it works. You can use it. It will support a dinner set. You can eat your dinner off it, even if it’s got a few dents and scratches here and there. If the glue becomes brittle and unsticks, the table collapses and you will never be able to use it again unless you glue it back together.
So it is with the EU. It is the glue holding the different member countries together – making them into something useful. Without that glue they just all fall apart and go their separate ways as they did so many, many times before. England becomes a single leg – useless on its own. Spain becomes a single strut that was attached to that leg and is now lying on the floor. Germany too is on the floor, unsupported as it struggles under the weight of a whole country pouring itself in.
Not exactly the best analogy I could come up with perhaps, but I tell you, I’d rather have a functioning but battered table for my dinner than a pile of sticks on the floor. If you are happy with the sticks on the floor that’s fine by me. Go ahead and abandon the table top too. I suppose your dinner will taste the same on the floor but you’ll be a bit less comfortable than you’re used to being 😉
Plenty of “interfering idiots” as you call them running the UK too. You won’t get away from them all just by quitting the EU. They’ll still be there, just wearing different faces 😉
No it won’t get the British people away from the ones in the UK but it will get us away from the ones not elected by British people interfering in British affairs… that is a dam good start in the right direction for the UK. If it happened I might even have my first drink in many years to celebrate 😉
Hey MikeSelected bits of our little ding-dong are on page 3 of the printed edition of this week’s paper. Let’s celebrate and shake hands! (Virtually of course.) Congratulations and 3 cheers for free speech!
I wonder though how things will really pan out for the EU in the end? In a way, I hope Soros is wrong but I still have a gut feeling that he’s right. Who knows? I guess we’ll just need to wait and see. Maybe you’ll be enjoying that first drink in many years or I’ll be raising a glass instead. Either way – Cheers!Brian
The thing that is important is that it goes the best way for the people of the UK, it is our future families lives that take preference and as much as I won’t see it beyond my lifetime I do want them to have decent lives and not have to live in a backward run union that is taking * everything * from them!
Good luck… I look forward to raising my glass 😉
Article leaves out how soros survived the holocaust. He stole the belongings of Jews while pretending he wasn’t of Jewish heritage. He is a monster who makes money from chaos
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