French far right in 'earthquake' win as EU votes

[Basil B]

The thing is that we have had a terrible, sustained recession that has hit the 1st world hard, most voters in any country are not forward thinking and have very little understanding on who is to blame, most think governments should have just printed money and not able to comprehend the result of such actions, so now the voters blame the parties of government over the last few years, an this to those who blame immigration and the EU it is no wonder that we see anti EU and immigration parties coming to the forefront at this time within the EU for what is essentially a protest vote.

It would be disastrous for any EU country to leave it of for it to fold, but it is clear also it needs reform and less dictatorship of it's member countries and to become more what it was initially intended to be and that was a trading organisation, thankfully Britain is not a party to Shengan and the Euro, but those countries that are do need to rethink on them, I am not saying they need to do away with but certainly rethink.

As for free movement of labour within the community I would like to see a six month limit on Europeans coming to the UK to seek work, and if they do not find work within six month they should leave, also any benefits to them should be paid by the country from which they came until they have been registered as employed in the UK for two years, if they come to the UK to work self employed or set up a company they should have to demonstrate substantial investment and expertise in their line of business.

[manarak]

The thing is that we have had a terrible, sustained recession that has hit the 1st world hard, most voters in any country are not forward thinking and have very little understanding on who is to blame, most think governments should have just printed money and not able to comprehend the result of such actions, so now the voters blame the parties of government over the last few years, an this to those who blame immigration and the EU it is no wonder that we see anti EU and immigration parties coming to the forefront at this time within the EU for what is essentially a protest vote.

It would be disastrous for any EU country to leave it of for it to fold, but it is clear also it needs reform and less dictatorship of it's member countries and to become more what it was initially intended to be and that was a trading organisation, thankfully Britain is not a party to Shengan and the Euro, but those countries that are do need to rethink on them, I am not saying they need to do away with but certainly rethink.

As for free movement of labour within the community I would like to see a six month limit on Europeans coming to the UK to seek work, and if they do not find work within six month they should leave, also any benefits to them should be paid by the country from which they came until they have been registered as employed in the UK for two years, if they come to the UK to work self employed or set up a company they should have to demonstrate substantial investment and expertise in their line of business.

many like to label the current economic downturn as "temporary" - the more probable reality is that the past strong economic development in the 20th century which allowed to pay for extensive welfare was based on technology dominance and exploitation of resources in foreign countries.

Now that these resources get expensive and that other countries produce the same technology but cheaper, our countries meet with problems they can't overcome, especially if other challenges are added, such as the ageing populations.

Sorry, this is not a "crisis", it is the beginning of a worldwide process that will balance out economies.

The only way forward for countries with extensive welfare systems is to reduce welfare and to stop pressuring people who generate income or who invest into production facilities for more tax/social contributions/healthcare fees/pension fees...

[7by7]

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As for free movement of labour within the community I would like to see a six month limit on Europeans coming to the UK to seek work, and if they do not find work within six month they should leave, also any benefits to them should be paid by the country from which they came until they have been registered as employed in the UK for two years, if they come to the UK to work self employed or set up a company they should have to demonstrate substantial investment and expertise in their line of business.

The regulations currently state three months; do you really want to extend that to 6?

If EEA nationals are working and paying NICs, then they are entitled to the same contribution based benefits as anyone else paying NICs; dependent upon how much they've paid and when.

Otherwise, no matter how long they have been living in the UK, they cannot claim very much and cannot, in the official jargon, 'become an unreasonable burden upon the state.' See 'Public Funds'

You final point would require changes to the regulations and thus the agreement of all member states. But for self employed people, the same rules regarding public funds apply as those to the employed and to job seekers. So, basically, if their business failed they'd have to find employment within three months or return home.