Britain: Almost as many Brits living in other EU countries than there are EU citizens living in Britain?

Is a British suicide in the making ?

Factcheck EU argues that Graham Watson, a Liberal Democrat member of the European Parliament, at  a time when the British public is particularly sensitive to issues regarding immigration into the UK, has defended  one of the bastions of the European Union, the principle of free movement, as a reaction to the British Prime Minister's intent to "crack down on European immigration rules."

To support his opinions, Mr. Watson argues that targeting specific nationalities when imposing restrictions on free movement could spark retaliations on British citizens living in other member states of the European Union. Mr. Watson reminds the British public that "there are almost as many Brits living in other European countries than there are other Europeans living in Britain."

Factcheck EU says this statement is not correct and base it on the following arguments.

A report on "Population and Social Conditions" published by Eurostat for the year 2012 states the figure is close to 1 million, which is less than the amount of other EU nationals residing on British soil. Factcheck EU then jumps one year ahead and states the most recent figures from Eurostat indicate that there are now over 2.3 millio European Citizens living in Britain..

Note EU-Digest: Factcheck is comparing Apples with Pears. What they do not describe is that either way the numbers are both substantial and a unilateral move by Britain to step out of the EU would be an economic disaster for Britain and the more than a million plus Brits living in the EU, not to mention the millions of Brits who own vacation homes in the European Union. 

Jim Cowles, Citi chief executive officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa, recently told the British Financial Times that there was "mounting concern" among clients about their ability to use the United Kingdom as a regional hub if the country exits the EU.

Bottom line Britain is far better off in the EU than outside it.

EU-Digest

The Netherlands. Dutch populist eurosceptic politician Geert Wilders wants Netherlands to leave EU

Eurosceptics Geert Wilders and Marine Le Pen

In a foretaste of his campaign for European parliamentary elections in May, Dutch populist politician Geert Wilders is making his case that the Netherlands would be better off leaving the European Union.

He claimed Thursday a "NExit" -- Netherlands exit from both the European Union and euro currency zone -- would add nearly 10,000 euros ($13,000) to GDP per capita over two decades, from around 35,000 euros now.

The Dutch government rejects Wilders' views, saying a pullout from the European Union would cause irreparable damage to trade relations in a country heavily reliant on trade, and a euro departure would lead to a new financial crisis.

Wilders' views on leaving the European Union have so far gained little traction in the Netherlands, and are seen as practically unworkable. However, his euro-skeptic stance, like that of other parties elsewhere on the political extremes -- such as France's Marine Le Pen, Greece's Alexis Tsipras and Britain's Nigel Farage, does resonate with a wider public.

A survey published last week by pollster Maurice de Hond found almost as many Dutch would vote for Wilders' Freedom Party as for the two parties in the centrist governing coalition combined -- if national elections were held today. They are not scheduled until 2017. Wilders said he hoped that his faction would be the largest Dutch faction in the European elections.

At the press conference, Wilders presented a study that concluded there would be significant positive economic effects from leaving the EU. He commissioned the study from the London-based think-tank Capital Economics, founded by Wilders Eurosceptic economist friend Roger Bootle.

EU-Digest

EU Immigration Policies: Immigrants Benefit Host Nations' Economies, so Why Is Public Perception Negative? - by Anna Leijonhufvud

Immigrants seeking democracy and better life benefit economy

Almira is one of many millions of immigrants who every year cross borders in search of a better life. A year ago, she left her home village in Croatia to find work in Helsingborg, Sweden, and today she's gone to Arbetsförmedlingen, a Swedish public employment agency, to find a job. "I worked as a cleaner for a hotel, but the work is tiresome," she said. "I would want to work as a receptionist, but I don't think my Swedish is good enough yet."

Immigrants like Almira are often seen as having a negative impact on the host country, such as when they allegedly take jobs from the native-born. But as anti-immigration views have gained traction--even in government  policy in some cases, as in the U.K.--an increasingly large body of work suggests that assumptions that immigrants are harmful to a country's economy are unfounded.

"There is overwhelming evidence that migrants have a positive impact on the economy," said Peter Sutherland, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for migration and development. Sutherland was on the panel for the World Economic Forum's Open Forum session titled "Immigration: Welcome or Not?"

Also on the panel was former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who agreed with Sutherland that immigrants often bring lots of advantages with them. To make his point, Annan referred to a poster showing Albert Einstein trying to cross the border into a country with a sack of clothes on his back. The caption read: "The sack of clothes is not the only thing that the immigrant brings."

While many of the leaders speaking at the WEF appear convinced, the evidence that immigrants have a positive effect on their host countries' economies has not yet had much impact on public perception.

Editors Note: The question is why European Governments are  not making sure they change this Public perception about the benefits of immigration ? Instead they are letting populist, nationalistic politicians like Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, Marie Le Pen in France and others in Europe control the debate.

EU-Digest

EU Immigration Policies: EU official accuses UK of spreading ‘myths’ and telling tales about immigration

In a scathing attack on the UK’s immigration policy, a UN official has slammed London for peddling “myths” about an “invasion of foreigners”. Viviane Reding, vice president of the EU Commission, said the scare tactics are part of a strategy to win votes.

Speaking on a webchat on EU citizenship, Reding said British politicians were putting the future of the UK in jeopardy for the sake of their political ambitions. She warned that the political rhetoric about the impending arrival of a wave of migrants, who will take jobs and leech off the welfare system, was a “myth”
 
“Most of the things which are told to the people in Great Britain are myths, [and] have nothing to do with reality.", said Reding.

Reding argues that in fact the arrival of EU migrants, in fact, stimulated the UK economy, causing GDP to grow by “3-4 percent”.
 
“I am mostly frustrated about the political leaders because what is leadership if you just try with populistic movements and populistic speech to gain votes?” said Reding.

She appealed to all of the “reasonable forces” in Britain to dispel the distorted version of events that the UK government has created and explain to people what the European Union really is.

"You are destroying the future of your people, actually,” said Reding, condemning Prime Minister David Cameron’s policy of “populism” and “Euroscepticism”.
 
Reding’s come off the back of a flurry of rhetoric from EU leaders condemning new immigration policies that have been implemented by the UK government. Prime Minister David Cameron has moved to cut immigration to the UK.

Furthermore, the government is also taking measures to restrict migrants’ access to the British welfare system.

Recently David Cameron said he would like to change treaties with the EU that would allow him to cut child benefit for workers from other EU countries.


Almere-Digest

EU: Why the World Needs Europe - byTony Fernandes

Unity not Eurosceptism

For some time already, wherever you are in the world, one cannot escape the question asked by many political, media and financial observers: "What is going to happen to Europe?" Source of sarcasm for some, of anxiety for many others, the continent's economic and political situation appears critical.

On the one hand, observers lament an economy which is deeply handicapped by a public debt which exceeds the continent's GDP and by unemployment rates which have become untenably high. On the other, the concern felt by observers is also triggered by a political analysis of the European situation. Frequent differences of opinion and hesitation on the part of European leaders in past years have damaged the image of the continent as much as economic problems have.

Yet, when you manage a foreign company, the image that Europe portrays is different in many respects. The continent is the most important foreign investor in many regions of the world, including South-East Asia. Of course, the European market is no longer considered dynamic but it still remains huge; the first common market in the world with 600 million people. Its citizens have considerable purchasing power, especially compared to other regions or countries which have higher growth rates.

When GDP in France and Germany averaged respectively 0% and 0.7% in 2012 compared to 6.2% and 5.6% in Indonesia and Malaysia, purchasing power per capita in these countries was respectively US$35,000 and US$40,000, compared to US$4,000 and US$15,000.

Europe remains synonymous with high-level research and strong value-added goods. A reputation based upon the transfer of skills and technologies by European industrial groups to their client countries. Of course, this can be a source of frustration for the country where such technologies are developed but the day this transfer of skills and technologies no longer occurs, or worse, occurs in the opposite direction, Europeans will have really lost the game!

When one has such comparative advantages, one shouldn't complain let alone be afraid of the future! The real problem in Europe is that its Member States seem to have lost any all ambition to act on the international stage, either individually and as a whole. You only have to observe the proliferation of negative and resigned speeches and the rise of xenophobic parties with protectionist economic programs to be convinced. Leaders and voters must be persuaded of the strength of their political project.

 By deciding to unite towards a common future when an entire part of the world was only starting to awaken, they have been a role model for the world for the past sixty years. In 1957, when Europeans created the first common market, the European Economic Community, they became a source of inspiration for the Asian world. Ten years later, the ASEAN was created, which has since succeeded in both promoting economic prosperity and strengthening political stability within the region.

When Europeans rose above their differences and succeeded in setting up the unprecedented industrial project which today produces Airbus aircraft, their partners were both envious and admiring. But this is not enough. Defense and aeronautics cannot be the sole sectors to carry the integration process forward when so much progress remains to be made in the fields of new communications technologies, renewable energy, health, and many others. We need to increase the number of pan-European industrial partnerships, invest more in research, and streamline administrative and fiscal systems. European leaders are aware of the challenges that Europe faces, they need to start tackling them.

Europe holds its destiny in its own hands. No one will come to its rescue and no one would understand if the continent did not fight for its model, liberal, democratic and based on a common vision. The crisis it is experiencing must form the starting point for a new strategy to push this model forward because, beyond its own project, Europe represents the success of a model for all countries in transition.

But by displaying weakness when faced by the main economic, diplomatic and environmental challenges of this century, Europe is likely to slowly marginalize itself, slipping from the center of the global economy toward its periphery. At a time when the crisis is now hitting the world economy as a whole, there is an urgent need for stability and leadership. Europe must contribute to this, for its own sake and the world's.

EU-Digest

The European Social Model Can And Must Survive The Crisis - Anthony Giddens

What does the Eurozone crisis mean for the future of Europe? In an interview with EUROPP’s Managing Editor Stuart Brown, Anthony Giddens discusses the content of his new book, Turbulent and Mighty Continent: What Future for Europe? He outlines the structural factors underpinning the crisis, the benefits of EU membership, and why maintaining the European social model as a social investment state is of crucial importance for European countries.

"Europe has become a community of fate in another sense, which is that for the first time we have a European public and political space. In every European country, European issues are now covered extensively in the media. I was amazed at the amount of coverage given in the UK to Angela Merkel’s re-election. You would never have found that previously, and that’s recognition that we’re all in this together, even if many in the UK want us to leave the European Union."

"So for me, as a pro-European, the key issue is whether we can make this negative public space more of a positive one. For this reason, I feel that pro-Europeans should state their case and network across Europe in the run up to the 2014 European elections. We should not let the populists and the Eurosceptics dominate the debate politically, or emotionally."

Read more: The European Social Model Can And Must Survive The Crisis - Social Europe Journal