Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland: three nations with deep European roots that remain outside the European Union, despite their geographical and cultural ties. But why? As we delve into their unique histories and political decisions, we’ll uncover the reasons behind their choice to stand apart from their EU counterparts. Furthermore, their membership in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) adds another layer to this intricate relationship. Join us as we also explore their present-day interactions and agreements with the EU, offering a comprehensive understanding of their positions in the European landscape.
Support the Channel:
💁♂️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/eumadesimple
☕ Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/EUMadeSimple
📷 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheEUmadeSIMPLE
Sources:
Source 1: Nordics, EEC Referenda in Denmark and Norway https://nordics.info/show/artikel/experience-from-the-european-economic-community-referenda-in-denmark-and-norway-1972
Source 2: Systems Change Alliance, Why Norway Refused to join the EU
Source 3: Nordic Labour Journal, The Nordics and the EU http://www.nordiclabourjournal.org/i-fokus/in-focus-2023/the-nordics-and-the-eu/article.2023-03-15.9085757739
Source 4: BBC, Iceland’s Fishing Industry
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-36587253
Source 5: Gallup: Largest Portion of Icelanders Favour Joining the European Union
Gallup: Largest Portion Of Icelanders Favour Joining The European Union
Source 6: Webwire, Credit Suisse Europe Barometer
https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=231261
Source 7: Wikipedia, Switzerland – European Union Relations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland%E2%80%93European_Union_relations#Proposals_for_EU_membership
Source 8: Swissinfo, Why Switzerland doesn’t want to join the European Union https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/why-switzerland-doesn-t-want-to-join-the-european-union/47391050
Source 9: Wikipedia, European Single Market
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_single_market
Source 10: Youtube, the European Union Explained
Source 11: Wikipedia, EFTA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Free_Trade_Association#Free_movement_of_people_within_EFTA_and_the_EU/EEA
Source 12: EFTA, European Free Trade Association
https://www.efta.int/about-efta/european-free-trade-association
43 Comments
Finland was in EFTA before EU which was forgotten in this doc. One consideration is that these three countries pay practically as much as members in order to be inside EU market without having any votes for any decision, and to be in they have to comply with the regulations and rules. Switzerland's banking sector has always been so shady that there's no way they would join and the voting system is ideal for populists which sometimes prevents making radical decisions. As long as Norway has oil reserved they do not join the union. Iceland is so small that it doesn't get much attention anyway.
One thing is for sure is that these three countries are now quite stable because of their independence, which means apparently EU has bad impacts on member countries.
These countries wisely do not wish to take in immigrants bent on destroying their societies, that the EU would force them to take in.
Totally behind those three countries, it's their choice to rule themselves and not be dictated to by wef globalist nutters.
First of all … I love Norway and the way society is organised, but a few things need some clarification. It are NOT Belgian bureaucrats, they come from all member states. Secondly, all 3 mentioned countries follow European trade rules and have treaties with the EU that tie us very closely together, they just are not part of the political decision process. All 3 of them are part of the Schengen area, which allows for free movement in all 27 member countries. Thirdly, all 3 countries have different reasons not to be part of the political EU, … oil … fishing … banking, but all 3 benefit hugely from the trading benefits that exist thanks to the existing single marked. It is the highest time that people start to become aware again of the benefits of the EU and its positive effects, and take them for granted.
It'd be good if you had a map of the entire EU. Sinxe you can't even get that right, it's a bad start! Won't be watching your channel.
Why would they want to? Just a massive bureaucracy
The European Union has never been a democracy, it is a technocracy. The only time when the "Demos", the people were able to express themselves by referendum in France, Ireland and the Netherlands, they refused the Maastricht agreements. The EU is a star-spangled banner like that of the USA, and the 27 members of the EU, the vassals of Washington, have lost all financial, economic, industrial, and military sovereignty. The creation of the EU was an American idea to control the old continent and prevent any alliance with Russia, whose enormous energy resources would make Europe too powerful an economic competitor. Germany is an American colony still under military occupation. Even Switzerland has lost its neutrality and is applying sanctions against Russia, and for such an important subject the people did not vote. In France, the delivery of arms to the corrupt Banderist Ukraine should have been approved by Parliament, but the dictator Macron, a slave of the Rothschild bank, keeps on passing European orders by decree or thanks to article 49.3. If they do not want to sink like the Titanic, the people hypnotized and lobotomized by the main streams must wake up and regain their independence. EXIT to the EU, to NATO. Politicians only discuss the small proportion of illegal migrants and forget the Marrakesh agreement that requires member countries to legally allow almost 4 million foreigners a year into the Schengen area. https://youtu.be/uq2pWayE4bQ?si=9ezDdUEMwxAk1HUR
A refusal is usually the results of and invitation They have not refused as they have not been invited
The EU proves time and time again that it is a disfunctional organization run by bureaucrats that have never been elected. As a swiss I hope we will never join !!
These are the only countries with a brain. I've seen how the EU has ruined the Netherlands where I used to live. There's nothing democratic about the European Union and the project will fail in the next decade.
Let's also not forget how the Netherlands voted against adopting EU law in a referendum but got it pushed down their throats anyway. Norway, Switzerland and Iceland are right for not wanting to join. Sovereignty above everything else.
Because they are not stupid like us Greeks. Today in politics, strategy and economics we play the role of the useful idiot:
-we owe 400 billion euros
-every 10 years we pay all the debt in interest without the debt decreasing
-we have sold all the state property to the Europeans for a penny
-we have destroyed our industry, agriculture and stock-breeding
-we have become a warehouse for illegal immigrants
and most important of all EU and the USA are practically pressuring us to give in to Turkey's demands.
THE EU HAVE TOTALLY FOOKED EUROPE AND MADE IT 1000 TIMES WORSE AND UNSAFE BY RELEASING ALL THESE BLACK/MUSLIM IMMIGRANTS INTO EUROPE. I believe Sweden was the 5th safest country in the world now it’s 25th or Similar, as it’s now riddled with immigrant crime waves. These immigrants have nothing to offer Europe, half of them are criminals half of them have no education, only one thing will happen, Europeans will FIGHT BACK!
EVERYTHING IS FULL OF EASTERN EUROPE CANSER HER!!! .-/
Don’t think these countries have much to gain by joining EU they’re already doing ok
Because their are smart.
UK is not a member of the EU either! They were brave and left so.they could make their own laws not Brussels
Amazing how much richer and safer these countries are compared to EU member contries on average, there's a definite limit on the Wealth and safety of the average person when you have open borders, the richest countries in the world Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Singapore ect understand this
What about San Marino Monaco Andorra and Liechtenstein
Their right to tell the dictators in Brussels to take a running jump. Don't expose your people to dictatorship
WE SIGNED UP TO A FREE TRADE ONLY, NO ONE ASKED IF WE WANTED THIS JOKE OF A EU???????????????
The real reason is that Norway would be flat broke after a few years in EU due to EU killing every fish in Norwegian waters, take all the gas and oil and farmed salmon leaving Norway with no substancial income PLUS we have to pay billions on top of that just for beeing a member of EU. We obv dont want that and stay out of the misery that is called EU.
I'm an American, but if I were a citizen of any of those three, I would vote HELL NO!
British is clever independent freedom they don't want to be slave of Europe…uk Brexit from Europe, Balkan sates must be freedom and Nordic states must be freedom independent.
British is clever independent freedom they don't want to be slave of Europe…uk Brexit from Europe, Balkan sates must be freedom and Nordic states must be freedom independent.
No, they will soon see the EU and NATO collapse, hopefully some new form of cooperation can be formed between the sovereign states of Europe in trade in particular. A Common Market perhaps, which is what it was supposed to be to begin with, not an Empire, with flag, anthem and military.
As a Brit i am perfectly happy not to be a member of the EU.
Some years ago I was at a trade fair in Xiamen in China, and a lady Swiss diplomat told me that The Swiss were able to make bilateral trade agreements to their satisfaction. A few days ago in the Far East I spoke to a Norwegian, and I was told that the referendum years ago was very close possibly below one thousand.
However Norway has to pay a levy to Europe maybe 3%. I cannot see how Iceland can reconcile its loss of control over their fisheries with the demands of Europe. This presentation was helpfull and in my view accurate.
Because they are smart.
As a german, it is a loose for german peoples. For the big companies its profitable but for the german there are paying a lot of taxes for corrupt countries 😢
OLD VIDEO !!!!!
Still Norwegian politicians can’t get enough of EU. They implement every rule and idea and pay a huge fee. It really stinks. Norway is not a member but jumps when asked/told. Like the annoying show off kid in class. EES was signed behind our back by Gro and her suitcase carrier Jonas, today’s prime minister of Norway. Jonas is weak leader and EU is hated!
Thousands of years and untold number of lives have drawn todays border's and then we expect those nations to just 'forget about it'?. Hilarious.
Imagine if EFTA was the way European Nations went, simply ensuring that goods moved around the Trade Zone were up to standard. Every European country could be a member whether their democracy was up scratch or not. Russia and Ukraine would be members selling their goods across the entity, there would be no EU or American politicians interfering in their politics (to make money for their children) or messing in election to get their man in power in the name of expansionism and there would be no war in the region.
There would still be passport controls and the illegal immigration crisis would not exist, there would have been no Euro crisis as every nation would still trade in it's own currency, and if one went down the rest would still be ok adjusting their currency to suit their own circumstances and not bending the knee to the whims of Brussels. OK I'd have to present my passport to go on holiday or do business in other countries, but since when has that ever been a bother.
I'd be willing to bet several countries leave the EU before Iceland, Switzerland or Norway join.
These three countries didn't join the EU and they didn't suffer any MAIDAM as happened in Ukraine when didn't want to join the EU.
It’s because the EU is shit
Great 3t 3😂😂😂😂😂😂🎉
And Serbia!
Switzerland actually WILL NEVER JOIN EU, as it's a nice-comfy "washing machine" of the rich European countries… 'money laundering' is called BABYYYY!!!! 🙂
they want to comply with the EU rules but don't want to have a say in it
which is lovely considering that the swiss are hardcore right-wing
They won't join because they are smart.