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Source: Economist.com

The European Parliament has voted in favour of Romania and Bulgaria joining the European Union in 2007 or 2008. The former Yugoslav countries to their west, Slovenia apart, are lagging far behind. But Serbia has been told that it too can start accession talks. The most contentious issue will be Kosovo

Informed commentators are growing increasingly concerned that the economy of the European Union as a bloc cannot endure in its present form.

Currently there are only 3 countries which are net contributors - France, Germany and UK. All the others are to varying degrees net beneficiaries.

Obviously the addition of more members from the old Eastern bloc will add to this imbalance as these countries will, for some time, be beneficiaries.

The question is for how long can this continue?

Already there are signs of an 'inner circle' of members made up of the original "6" emerging. These countries, led by the Franco-German axis want to close the ever-widening gap between the EU economy and that of the United States.

It is difficult to see how they will achieve that objective with the greater strains being put on their economies by the new fledgling members.

Scrat I agree that EU membership for the eastern countries doesn't mean automatic prosperity, justice and 1st Worldom. Looking at Germany one can clearly see the backlash reunification has brought to the whole country, in very different ways. The east is economically a disaster. The abolition of the sturdy social welfare net and the shuttering of most industry has led to chronic problems including poverty, the rise of the far right and a sharp bitterness toward the western half of the nation. The LoveFest the capitalists predicted has failed to materialize in the west as well as prices and taxes soar. Der Speigel stated a few years ago that in a poll of western Germans a shocking 60% regret reunification. You're correct that the wealthier EU members will maintain their status in this capitalist club and the eastern nations will be used for cheaper labor, efforts to weaken their unions have already gotten underway, environmentally unsound practices by corporations that would not be tolerated in the 'Gold Club' countries will be in the eastern countries and obedience will be expected by them as well. They've expanded too fast. But what can you expect from a capitalist alliance?