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| Europe |
| Liechtenstien Roars |
| 2003-11-04 |
| Tech Central Staion - EFL I always used to make NATO jokes that revolved around the military contribution of Luxembourg and Liechtenstien. Who’s laughing now. It all seemed like a done deal. After half a year of tough negotiations an agreement on the enlargement of the European Economic Area, a free-trade zone that includes all EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, had finally been reached at the end of July. Only a final signature from all the parties was needed to ship the agreement off for final ratification in the national parliaments. This would have secured a parallel enlargement of the EU and the EEA on May 1, 2004. But that was before EU ministers and their counterparts from the EEA and the European Free Trade Area (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) met to sign the agreement in Luxembourg in the middle of October. There, the re-emergence of an historic row between Liechtenstein and the Czech and Slovak Republics brought everything to an abrupt halt. Liechtenstein did not want to sign the deal, nor did the Czech and Slovak Republics. The problems date back to when the nation-states of Europe did not even exist. Several centuries ago the ruling family of Liechtenstein owned huge chunks of land in what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia, both of which are about to accede to the European Union. Wars, political changes and upheavals as well as changing borders resulted in more and more of this land being confiscated. Its former proprietors, the royal family of Liechtenstein, has only partially been compensated for the expropriations of land that have taken place over the last century in particular. But the problems are not solely based on the issue of land -- difficult as that can be. Until this day the Czech and Slovak Republics question the legitimacy of Liechtenstein as a sovereign state -- partly out of fear of huge claims of compensation from the royal house of Liechtenstein for what it perceives as partially illegal land-grabs. This conflict that now threatens the whole future of the EEA-agreement. Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein (whose subjects recently voted to give him back some of their democratic powers) said he does not see it as his main responsibility to save the EEA agreement at any price. He considers it very likely that Norway -- the largest EEA/EFTA state -- will apply for EU membership within the next five years. Iceland, the other EEA/EFTA state, has also recently started sniffing around a future EU membership. In other words, so the logic seems to go in Vaduz, why save a ship that in any case seems to be on the verge of sinking. The situation is now a stalemate. Politicians in Norway and Iceland are shivering at the idea that the EEA agreement actually could end up being torpedoed by this old conflict. If the row is not settled quickly, the prince’s prediction may well come true faster than he ever expected. Norway has a government that builds its relations with the EU on the foundations of the EEA agreement. It does not want any other relationship with the EU, as that would automatically dissolve the cabinet. Headed by Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, the current coalition government is formed around a suicide clause, which states that "if the issue of EU membership is raised on the agenda, the cabinet will lay down its work." Perhaps not surprisingly, EU membership has not been discussed much recently in Norway. However, should the EEA agreement fall, EU-membership would most likely be the only alternative for the majority in the Norwegian Storting (parliament). To fall back on a free-trade agreement from 1972 is not really an option for most of the MPs in Oslo. And, a swift move for Norwegian EU membership following the scrapping of EEA would most certainly force Iceland to follow suit. |
| Posted by:Super Hose |
| #10 OK--screw the EU I want Gaul, Germania, Lusitania returned to the Empire |
| Posted by: Julius 2003-11-4 11:28:43 PM |
| #9 Patagonia's beautiful, but I've never heard of such a deal. Greenland is still part of Denmark, but its got a lot of autonomy. Its technically not even called Greenland anylonger, its got a native name now. I think it would have more autonomy still if it became a territory of the US. The US is a sucker for our territories. |
| Posted by: Yank 2003-11-4 11:15:53 PM |
| #8 I thought that Greenland was once part of Denmark but now has gone independent or autonomous or something? Weird sidenote: several months ago I had read something bizarre about the US thinking of buying Patagonia from Argentina. Now this *wasn't* April 1 when I read it, but it was a couple weeks after, so I think it likely that it was a news item that originated as an April's fools joke and then lingered a bit more than it should. Especially since I never heard anything about it again. May I assume that none of you has heard anything about this buying-Patagonia deal either? |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2003-11-4 11:00:40 PM |
| #7 If the EU needs money they should sell Greenland to the US. This would have a couple of advantages, first it would allow the US to create a missile defense without bothering Europe. Second, it would allow the inhabitants to become a territory of the US with all the benefits Puerto Rico currently enjoys (cultural protection, tax benefits, military protection and pay checks). Third, it would give Europe an influx of money. The idea was floating during the cold war, its time again. |
| Posted by: Yank 2003-11-4 9:01:49 PM |
| #6 But wait! Isnt' all this old anger going by the wayside? Isn't there a law? Isn't there a protocol? Isn't there a committee? I was gonna say it'll all be done by FIAT... but NO! The BMW Cabal have come up with better FROG tires. Watch out frog boy the horse gonna squish you again. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-11-4 8:10:21 PM |
| #5 Chuck - I liked the movie too. Would the Czechs and Slovaks even have enough liquid assets to pay the compensation for that much land? I don't have strong feelings about whether the EU is a good idea or a bad one - it could be either depending on what the signatories make of it. I am encouraged that such a small country did not get steamrollered. As for Norway and Iceland, - there was more info on them that I cut - either they're in or they're out. The special side deals for non-EU members must be counterproductive at some point. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-11-4 6:36:27 PM |
| #4 If they can't figure this one out and settle, how can they figure the big ones out? |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-11-4 5:59:05 PM |
| #3 Thanks for the clarification, I almost thought they were talking Roman Empire times or something with silly lines like this: The problems date back to when the nation-states of Europe did not even exist. |
| Posted by: Yank 2003-11-4 5:33:51 PM |
| #2 The article is a bit less than accurate. The land that is at question was confiscated by the Communists after their takeover at the end of WWII. Many other landowners have received compensation, or at least acknowledgement of the loss, from the now free governments. The Prince is merely asking for the same treatment that many others have already received. The Czechs and Slovaks, on the other hand, would suggest that the Principality's ties to Nazi Germany were rather more than the Prince is willing to admit, and that the confiscations were of property owned by a defeated power. As long as Liechtenstein doesn't land troop in New York City and steal a secret weapon, we'll be ok. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2003-11-4 4:20:34 PM |
| #1 This is silly. Every nation/people in the world lost land at some point or another. Its gone, Liechtenstein, get over it. And the Czech and Slovak Republics questionoing the legitimacy of Liechtenstein, which has been around long before Czechloslovaki split is just plain silly. There are many reasons for a nation to avoid membership in the EU but this one is pretty lame. Membership in the Eu could actually allow the parties to come to terms and end the old conflict using neutral mediators. |
| Posted by: Yank 2003-11-4 3:45:03 PM |