From David Knight Legg, pretty well respected but take for what it’s worth, a good summary of the EU if you have to explain it to others

“Europe is awesome.

But the EU is a corrupt disaster. It is not a nation. It is a left leaning committee with no security, trade or tech assets to negotiate with.

Guillaume
@Guigz75116
and Brivael
@brivael
have defined how corrupt and partisan the EU has become under Ursula von der Leyen. This isn’t paranoia it’s factual.

Andrew,
@acoyne
please provide any counter-factuals; but here is how I read the data:

1. EU net zero directives destroyed home grown energy development and gave energy security to Russia,

2. EU deindustrialisation/emissions policies destroyed German manufacturing and gave it to China

3. EU open borders mandates opened European cities to millions of MidEast and African migrants now vastly over-represented in welfare and crime.

These policies impoverished Europe:

• In 2008, the EU economy was 120pc of the United States. Today, it is 70pc with the US economy over $32 trillion and the EU lagging at $23 trillion.

• EUs largest members Spain, Italy, France, Germany are now poorer than the poorest US state Mississippi.

• EU households pay 3x the energy costs to heat/cool homes v US/canada

• EU industrials pay a crippling 4-5x China for energy, losing manufacturing to the worlds largest emitter

The regularity of horrific crimes, terror and riots no mark most key European cities whose police avoid a growing number of no-go zones.

Voting across Europe shows the EU is losing all support. Not because Europeans are paranoid. Because the EUs unelected obese franco-german bureaucracy destroyed a once vibrant EEC free trade zone with leftism.

Europe remains awesome.

The EU is a total disaster.”

https://x.com/KnightLegg/status/2117063369282740251?a=pqw_-1sxS0zE-Jc0UHw&s=20