EU referendum 3.0 -- with don't know option --

[661-Pete]

I know quite a lot about Belgium and political processes there are not to be universally admired. It is a system which has six parliaments for only 11 million people, it is divided along linguistic lines and has frequent money related scandals.

Brussels, a city of 1 million, has more than 100 ministers (the GLA has 25). I personally know of a funding cock up in Brussels which meant that a park project due to start in 2010 still hadn't started in 2016.

Yes but I don't think these problems are the fault of the voting system - nor do I think they are grounds for dissing the EU in its entirety. And Belgium has been troubled by its linguistic/ethnic division for ages. Bit like Northern Ireland with its religious divide. Neither country has found it easy to maintain a stable Parliament. Where is Stormont today?

Of course, we have to admit that the UK is now riven down the middle by a political schism: courtesy of 2016. And it will be slow to heal - if ever.

[pete75]

I know quite a lot about Belgium and political processes there are not to be universally admired. It is a system which has six parliaments for only 11 million people, it is divided along linguistic lines and has frequent money related scandals.

Brussels, a city of 1 million, has more than 100 ministers (the GLA has 25). I personally know of a funding cock up in Brussels which meant that a park project due to start in 2010 still hadn't started in 2016.

Yes but I don't think these problems are the fault of the voting system - nor do I think they are grounds for dissing the EU in its entirety. And Belgium has been troubled by its linguistic/ethnic division for ages. Bit like Northern Ireland with its religious divide. Neither country has found it easy to maintain a stable Parliament. Where is Stormont today?

Of course, we have to admit that the UK is now riven down the middle by a political schism: courtesy of 2016. And it will be slow to heal - if ever.

One thing I've noticed is that many anti EU folk seem to have great difficulty in distinguishing between the EU as a whole and individual member states.

[Ben@Forest]

Brussels, a city of 1 million, has more than 100 ministers (the GLA has 25).

OK, I'll bite: Brussels Capital Region has 4 ministers and 1 minister-president, so where are the other 95?

Belgium's politics isn't perfect, but the UK is currently stood in a very fragile greenhouse.

Possibly poor translation on my part, l read it in a German article (Focus) which was comparing the various numbers of politicians used to run cities. Of course GLA members are not ministers either, plus of course how do you (or they) count anything from councillors to peers?

But Belgium is top heavy on politicians - and scandals never stop happening.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&sourc ... 9064051800

[pete75]

Brussels, a city of 1 million, has more than 100 ministers (the GLA has 25).

OK, I'll bite: Brussels Capital Region has 4 ministers and 1 minister-president, so where are the other 95?

Belgium's politics isn't perfect, but the UK is currently stood in a very fragile greenhouse.

Possibly poor translation on my part, l read it in a German article (Focus) which was comparing the various numbers of politicians used to run cities. Of course GLA members are not ministers either, plus of course how do you (or they) count anything from councillors to peers?

But Belgium is top heavy on politicians - and scandals never stop happening.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&sourc ... 9064051800

And the UK isn't top heavy on politicians? Lincolnshire with a population of just over a million has about 360 councillors. That's not including Parish Councillors. They're all drawing on the public purse for doing something which was once done without payment by people who regarded it as a public duty.

[Cyril Haearn]

Brussels, a city of 1 million, has more than 100 ministers (the GLA has 25).

OK, I'll bite: Brussels Capital Region has 4 ministers and 1 minister-president, so where are the other 95?

Belgium's politics isn't perfect, but the UK is currently stood in a very fragile greenhouse.

Possibly poor translation on my part, l read it in a German article (Focus)
..

Focus! It just reported that Luebeck is 399th in a list of the safest places in Germany (out of 401 towns/counties)
'We got the bronze!' rejoiced a commentator, another described Focus as Bild for richer people, it is full of lists and speculation, I am surprised it is still printed, Germany has three news magazines, UK has none, Spiegel* is better or even Stern

* Spiegel: makes complicated stories simple. And simple stories complicated (Spiegel)

Belgium has three languages, there is a lot of arguing and conflict as described elsewhere by chocjohn but no violence, Plus One

Cities, towns, communities are organised in diverse ways, it is hard to compare numbers of staff. Germany has too much democracy, 16 regional parliaments, seems to work well

[Ben@Forest]

'We got the bronze!' rejoiced a commentator, another described Focus as Bild for richer people, it is full of lists and speculation, I am surprised it is still printed, Germany has three news magazines, UK has none, Spiegel* is better or even Stern

* Spiegel: makes complicated stories simple. And simple stories complicated (Spiegel

Maybe Focus is easier to read... but l found out why Spiegeleier are so called this week!

[661-Pete]

I know that Spiegel means mirror, but I think Spiegelei means fried egg. I'm sure I've seen it on menus.

[Cyril Haearn]

I know that Spiegel means mirror, but I think Spiegelei means fried egg. I'm sure I've seen it on menus.

Right again, fried egg
Spiegel is mirror, also the name of a news magazine

Couldnae find what mirrors have to do with fried eggs, mind

[661-Pete]

Perhaps it's because people who read Der Spiegel can only see the sunny-side-up of things. Bit like Brex**it voters, back then in 2016...

On second thoughts - perhaps it's people who spend all their time looking in the mirror....

[Ben@Forest]

Right again, fried egg
Spiegel is mirror, also the name of a news magazine

Couldnae find what mirrors have to do with fried eggs, mind

It's taken me 25 years to find out!

[Cyril Haearn]

Right again, fried egg
Spiegel is mirror, also the name of a news magazine

Couldnae find what mirrors have to do with fried eggs, mind

It's taken me 25 years to find out!

Your starter for three
Who or what are:
Merkel-Raute
HSV-Raute
Neufuenfland
AKK?

A really easy one
What magazine publishes Fakten Fakten Fakten, facts facts facts?

[PDQ Mobile]

Spiegel weich-ei?

[Cyril Haearn]

Spiegel weich-ei?

Falsch, wrong!
Spiegel is read by schlecht gelaunte Besserwisser, bad-tempered know-alls like me
I read the Guardian mostly actually

Fff is the slogan used by another magazine, (not the Spiegel, which is best-known for the forged hitler diaries)

[Ben@Forest]

Spiegel weich-ei?

Falsch, wrong!
Spiegel is read by schlecht gelaunte Besserwisser, bad-tempered know-alls like me
I read the Guardian mostly actually

Fff is the slogan used by another magazine, (not the Spiegel, which is best-known for the forged hitler diaries)

Fakten, Fakten, Fakten is Focus isn't it? (or maybe Mr Gradgrind...). The Merkel Raute is that square/diamond shape she makes with her hands.

Ich warte auf das aber...

[Cyril Haearn]

Spiegel weich-ei?

Falsch, wrong!
Spiegel is read by schlecht gelaunte Besserwisser, bad-tempered know-alls like me
I read the Guardian mostly actually

Fff is the slogan used by another magazine, (not the Spiegel, which is best-known for the forged hitler diaries)

Fakten, Fakten, Fakten is Focus isn't it? (or maybe Mr Gradgrind...). The Merkel Raute is that square/diamond shape she makes with her hands.

Ich warte auf das aber...

Merkel-Raute correct
Focus correct
HSV-Raute is the symbol of a Hamburg 'Dinosaur' football club just relegated to the second division for the first time (Schadenfreude)
Neufuenfland, new five land, is Ostdeutschland (the old Germany in both positive and negative senses)
AKK, you will know her soon enough, is Merkel's likely successor, the election for CDU chair is on 6.12, looks like another female 'Head Girl', +1