[throwaway122379]

What? EU is loose federation of 28 EQUAL members

I think the UK has a problem with being an equal and has not got over its loss of empire, just look at how they treat their own constituent countries such as Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales

[mschuster91]

> What? EU is loose federation of 29 EQUAL members

To be fair: whatever us Germans and the French want, we eventually get - most often by outright nation-scale bribery. It's all backroom dealing - for example, us Germans get no opposition preventing harsher pollution regimes EU-wide (to protect our heavy car-oriented industry), the countries which would oppose get EU funding grants for construction or whatever.

[renaudg]

Likewise for the UK. Not even talking about the outrageously good (even slightly unfair) membership rebate they have, I remember reading that the UK has been outvoted around 2% of the time at the EU level, and not on important matters either.

[beachy]

To be fair: an economically stronger partner getting more of what they want because of backroom dealing etc. is not a "german/french dictatorship" as stated by OP - it's simple realpolitik.

[sleavey]

> just look at how they treat their own constituent countries such as Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales

Don't forget England. Brexit is basically just an English nationalist idea. Ironically, if the UK had devolved more powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (something the Westminster parliament has generally fought against), England might have found its own thirst for taking back control satiated.

[trilila]

The eu is far from a federation. And there is much imbalance between eu countries that a few more will burst against germany’s dictats. Everything that happens in the eu is decided by that country. Really worrying that few other countries speak up against it.

[throwaway122379]

Care to provide an example?

[rusk]

I'm not taking the side of GP, but I just want to point out that the resolution to the financial crisis 10 years was very much in Germany's favour.

[rusk]

also, the weak Euro reduces the cost of German exports making them more competitive - effectively they benefit from having other EU members being poor. There are supposed to be rules about trade deficits so that stronger economies don't swamp the weaker ones but these are just ignored. Of course, a large advanced industrial economy like the UK should be able to keep up with that and similarly take advantage …