European Union, member states and Agencies

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SolarisKenzo

Well-Known Member
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #301
Today the construction of Paks II nuclear power plant officially started with the pouring of the first "nuclear" concrete.

The project is particularly controversial because it consists in the construction of two russian VVER-1200 reactors in the EU by a consortium of several european and russian companies (Rosatom, Framatome, Siemens, MVM, etc etc).

The construction of the nuclear plant was supposed to start in 2023/2024 but the project was halted due to american sanctions on the companies involved.

While the EU didnt impose sanctions on the project (unleashing american criticism) the EURATOM Agency ordered that control and other important systems were to be supplied by european companies and that the fuel will also be supplied by european.

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John Fedup

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Viktor Orban’s Hungary, what an embarrassment to the EU. If citizens actually support him, dump the country to Putin’s paradise.
 
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SolarisKenzo

Well-Known Member
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #303
In 2025 the EU had a maximum load of around 420.000,00 MWe.
Electricity generation increased compared to 2024.
Nuclear is the first source of electricity in the European Union (around 25% of the total) followed by natural gas and wind.

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Hydro production decreased.
The iberian blackout of April 2025 led to major policy changes and grid-related works.
New connections between the iberian-area grid and the rest of the grid are being built, mainly from France (that has a excess production capacity).

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Beltrami2005

Beltrami2005

Member
SolarisKenzo said:
Today the construction of Paks II nuclear power plant officially started with the pouring of the first "nuclear" concrete.

The project is particularly controversial because it consists in the construction of two russian VVER-1200 reactors in the EU by a consortium of several european and russian companies (Rosatom, Framatome, Siemens, MVM, etc etc).

The construction of the nuclear plant was supposed to start in 2023/2024 but the project was halted due to american sanctions on the companies involved.

While the EU didnt impose sanctions on the project (unleashing american criticism) the EURATOM Agency ordered that control and other important systems were to be supplied by european companies and that the fuel will also be supplied by european.

View attachment 54273
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I say wait and see, there are soon elections in hungary and this might change the entire project and orbans regime topples, he is increasingly unpopular in hungary.
 
John Fedup

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
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SolarisKenzo

Well-Known Member
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #306
John Fedup said:
Why does the EU continue to tolerate this Putin stooge? Why even consider a 16 billion Euro loan for defence to Orban, a borderline foe? New EU defence investment is great news. Perhaps a new removal mechanism for problem members is needed a well. If the Hungarian electorate wants Orban then cast out Hungary so they can enjoy economic union with Russia.

Hungary is blocking Russia sanctions package over €16B in EU defense loans, diplomats say – POLITICO
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Hungarian elections next April, we need to wait.
 
Feanor

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
John Fedup said:
Why does the EU continue to tolerate this Putin stooge? Why even consider a 16 billion Euro loan for defence to Orban, a borderline foe? New EU defence investment is great news. Perhaps a new removal mechanism for problem members is needed a well. If the Hungarian electorate wants Orban then cast out Hungary so they can enjoy economic union with Russia.

Hungary is blocking Russia sanctions package over €16B in EU defense loans, diplomats say – POLITICO
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International relations are more complex than that and there are many countries in the EU that mostly agree with the rest of the EU on key issues but have a major disagreement in some area. Poland the migrant question comes to mind. Should they get kicked out too? I don't think Orban is a borderline foe to the rest of the EU, I think he represents or attempts to represent a rising nationalist attitude in many European countries. I think figures like him in terms of their political position are more common than people realize. You'll note that elections in near by Slovakia and the Czech Republic yielded certain outcomes. And it would have been the same for Romania if it hadn't been for the clever use of "administrative resources". If the German electorate really wants the AfG, do we cast Germany out of the EU? Do we suspend democracy because the voters are "wrong"?

Organizations like the EU and like NATO aren't nation-states. They're international organizations and they have to balance competing priorities of different member states. This is why it's often wiser to keep a player like Turkey within NATO even if they don't always fully align with the goals of other members.
 
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SolarisKenzo

Well-Known Member
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #308
The EU Is not even close to NATO.

European citizens have EU citizenship.
Our IDs, driver license, passport... The EU flag is showed next to national ones and it is an official flag.

It's much more than an international organization. Much more.

I don't expect non-europeans to understand.
 
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KipPotapych

Well-Known Member
I think the implication that Feanor is referring to is that it is not a monotonous entity with the same (or even, in some cases, similar interests), but a diverse environment that has to deal with various points of view and national priorities in order to find the common approach and agreements. If, say, United States or Canada, consisting of different states and provinces, respectively, have major disagreements between the constituents of these states and provinces, while governed by federal governments (importantly, elected by the very constituents) that set the international and many of the internal policies, as national, doing so for an entity as diverse as the EU is much more difficult since there is no actual unity implied and core interests within - that is, national interest - would prevail. And this is particularly true for defense spending: for example. Italy or Spain do not share the view on the level of threat coming from Russia as seen by the Balts or Poland -> so they all spend accordingly. Just as Hungary (or at least its officials) does not share the view on energy policies of other EU members. Just as Belgium does not share the views of some others concerning the frozen Russian assets. And so on. The presumed equality gives leverage to all that often turns into basically blackmail.

koxinga said:
But non-Europeans can become Europeans, no? If it is exceptional, why did Europe adopt such a liberal policy in allowing migrants into their countries, knowing well that there is zero cultural or value affinity, much less historical one?
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Conversely, can Europeans become non-Europeans?


Stripping any state of the EU membership (is there even such a thing?) because views and policies of any elected government of the day do not line up with some or all of the other members would be catastrophic for the Union.
 
K

KipPotapych

Well-Known Member
Aspiring major geopolitical players:

IMG_4102.jpeg

Germany, France and Britain condemned Iranian attacks on countries in the region on Saturday, saying Iran must refrain from indiscriminate military strikes and resume negotiations.

"We condemn Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms," French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a joint statement.

"We call for a resumption of negotiations and urge the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution. Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future," they said.


These are supposed to be serious people. Of course, they also pointed out that they did not participate in the strikes (fears if terror are no joke). And, of course,

"We reiterate our commitment to regional stability and to the protection of civilian life," they added.

Not the right thread, but, to get it all out in one place, our guy (Carney) isn’t much better. He has also thrown in the right of Israel to defend itself in there. Also, “violence […], and presently, beyond its borders”. The guy must have been so stressed about the ruins of the rules-based order, he famously talked about just weeks ago, he lost the proper use of commas and could not even catch it during the proofreading the statement.

Maybe “on Monday”…
 
Feanor

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
SolarisKenzo said:
The EU Is not even close to NATO.

European citizens have EU citizenship.
Our IDs, driver license, passport... The EU flag is showed next to national ones and it is an official flag.

It's much more than an international organization. Much more.

I don't expect non-europeans to understand.
Click to expand...
That's a good point. But I don't think the EU is a country, and I think there are many within the EU that don't want it to be a country. Overall trends have been towards a rise in euro-skepticism. This doesn't necessarily mean these leaders love Russia or want to leave the EU, but rather they seem to want less centralization. Either way, organizations with countries as members have to balance the interests of their members. Taking an all or nothing approach tends to be counter-productive. Hungary could easily vote Orban out of office in a couple of months. Germany could vote someone unpleasant into office. I think the EU as an organization is not so precariously positioned that they wouldn't be able to handle a member with a different view on some issues.
 
K

kato

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
It goes a bit beyond just temporary stationing. France and Germany are working on a "steering committee" to coordinate the integration of German forces into French nuclear and conventional exercises, e.g. as a conventional component for area security.
 
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