Comment by pjmlp
3 days ago
As someone that is about 50, we also had it this way in Europe.
Newer generations don't get how lucky they are to have been born into EU, appreciate it while it lasts.
3 days ago
As someone that is about 50, we also had it this way in Europe.
Newer generations don't get how lucky they are to have been born into EU, appreciate it while it lasts.
Schengen is NOT a EU achievement.
Nations can sign Schengen, but are never forced to join the EU, nations can be EU members but are allowed to refuse the Schengen treaties.
Schengen is absolutely an EU achievement, although for some time it developed separately; it is now absorbed into EU law. Note that every Schengen country outside of the EU is a member of EFTA and to be in Schengen has to sign an association treaty with the EU.
Yes. Though it's part of the same broader 'European project', so it's permissible for people to be a bit lax when informally discussing these things.
Where have I said that on my comment?
I'm almost 50 and from Europe, never had to think about this stuff for a second.
Well I remember the fun days of crossing borders before EU, ordering stuff from computer magazines from other countries, having to deal how to pay them across countries, and so forth.
I also happened to work in Switzerland, before they made cross-region agreements with EU, and it was lot of burecratic fun, explaining the situation regarding a Portuguese, living in France and working in Switzerland.
I'm mid fourties and I remember bordercrossings were annoying back in the 90ies. I'm Danish so we didn't enter Schengen until around 2000. I guess it didn't help that I was young enough that we traveled by bus. Once when we were on a school trip to Prauge we had the Slovakia borderpatrol go through our entire bus while waving machineguns around.
> we had the Slovakia borderpatrol go through our entire bus while waving machineguns around
Quite common in Eastern Europe before Schengen. That's why we hate border patrols, police and all sorts of uniformed men in general. They used to cut young people's blue jeans or long hair back in the '80s and bribing them was common before 2005. We also had quite a lot of policemen jokes (they were called militia men before 1990). One goes like "Why do militia men work in couples? Because one knows how to read and the other knows how to write.". I used to wish that we join Schengen so we no longer have to deal with border police any longer and they'd lose their jobs or get moved to a different border. If finally happened. Now Germany Poland, Austria and also other EU states introduce "temporary" border checks. Which they keep extending. Great.
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Germany still does this, to a good fraction of incoming long distance busses (but not trains IIUC)
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I guess you never tried to cross the Iron Curtain in your youth?
The sane side of the iron curtain. We've envied you for the longest time.
As a 29 year old that experienced EU citizenship then had it cruelly taken away by some stupidly thin margin of voters… feckin Brexit.
I get how lucky I was for 25% of my life expectancy.