Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with europe and EU

Wir say OUI?

Sova — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:12:24 -0800

Have I just witnessed the first pan-European political campaign advert? When I go to certain sites, such as here or here I've noticed that I receive an advert for the political party Libertas. The advert more or less goes like this in English:

"Should you get to vote on the new European constitution?"
"Brussels says NO"
"We say YES!"
"Sign the petition @ libertas.eu"

Obviously they're campaigning for the upcoming European elections, but I also know that they bill themselves as a pan-European party. So are they just targetting me in the UK, or is this translated and targetted at all Europeans? Do you see it in your home language on certain sites with roughly the same message? I can't check this myself, but I would like to know whether or not you've run across it.

I'm a politics student (not a Libertas supporter!) and would love to know if this is the first time we've all been exposed to the same campaign advert.

How can I live in Europe?

ageispolis — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:58:58 -0800

How does one become a citizen of the E.U.? Excuse my lack of knowledge when it comes to European immigration, but I'd like to live to there. I'm Canadian, finishing an undergrad, and was wondering if this is possible. Do I need to nail a "real" job down there first prior to my departure -- or can I go ahead and wander on over there, find a lowly job, extend my visa, and then live there long enough, say 5 years, then sort of just nestle my way in? Would my best bet be to marry someone presently living there? Has anyone here personally done this?

What are the most common criticisms of the Treaty of Lisbon?

goodnewsfortheinsane — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:01:34 -0800

What are the most common points of criticism of the Treaty of Lisbon, and how do they relate to the failed European Constitution? My Google-fu is failing me, and moreover I'm also interested in viewpoints from nations whose languages I can't read: between Irish/British and Dutch/Belgian sources you only get so much of the story.

I understand that a common criticism is that the treaty would enhance the powers of unelected officials. What positions are we talking about, here? And would the treaty really bestow more power upon them? I thought part of the treaty's idea was to improve the role of the European Parliament through codecision with the Council, thus making it more democratic. What gives?

Also: after France and the Netherlands held failed referendums on the Constitution, both decided not to hold a referendum on the treaty. Were there any political reasons for this decision, besides fear of another debacle? I know people got mad, but were there any substantial protest movements, especially in France?

Lastly: have the most common criticisms been allayed somewhat by the revision of the Constitution and its repackaging as the Treaty, or do the same criticisms still stand?

I'm sorry if this is a broad question, please let me know if I can be clearer on any points. Thanks in advance for any insight you may have to offer.

How hard is it for a third country national to work in Austria after going through university there?

joewandy — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:42:34 -0800

How hard is it for a third country national to work in Austria after going through university there? I'm a 26-years-old Chinese Indonesian who have been living in Singapore for the past 10 years (since my teen-age). 2 years ago, I completed my (3 yrs) bachelor degree in Computing from the National University of Singapore. I have also obtained my Singaporean permanent residence and been working as a software engineer since then in a local company and another MNC.

With only 1 year+ remaining until the completion of my bond with the Singaporean government (due to them sponsoring my undergrad study), I now have to begin evaluating the possible path I could take for the future.

I'd very much like to move to Europe in order to work and live there. However since this is pretty hard to accomplish for a third country national like me, I thought I could first look into studying in a European country and proceed to find job after graduation. I should be able to save up to US$15k by the time I'm ready to leave, coupled with approximate 3 yrs of experience in the IT field. From my parents I could borrow another US$20k (if necessary) for any other expenses while I'm settling down.

I intend to apply to the University of Vienna due to the special low tuition fee of €15.86 / semester for Indonesian. I'd likely enroll into another related bachelor degree programme (e.g. math, science) as I don't think I am up to the challenge of learning cs stuffs at master's level while having to struggle with communicating in German at the same time.

Assuming that I've got all the study matters taken care of (for the sake of discussion), my questions are:

1. Given my prior experiences and qualifications, how hard would it be for me to find tech job in Austria (or surrounding EU countries) upon graduation? I'm inclined to think that having graduated from a 'local' university, it would be much easier for me to be employed within the country as well, but I might be wrong. Do employers have specific preferences in regards to the nationality of people that they are looking for?

2. How much of a period of time that I would have to look for job upon school completion? Is there any kind of temporary visa that I'd be able to apply for while jobhunting within Austria, or do I have to do it from Singapore?

3. How well are asians accepted and integrated into the European society? Let's assume that I could speak intelligible English and German :)

I might have more questions to follow up later, depending on the responses to this thread. Keep in mind that this is still a medium-to-long term plan, I'm basically just trying to determine where I could go from here onwards.

Travel dates in the months before passport expiration

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 09:12:30 -0800

My U.S. passport expires 13 Oct 08 and I need to book one international trip before then: leaving New York 17 July 08, returning 2 Aug 08 (one destination country, a non-EU-member in Eastern Europe, plus stops for flight transfers in one or two EU member countries). Is it even worth researching various countries' and airlines' how-close-to-expiration-date safety ranges for travel, or should I just assume I MUST renew my passport before then?

Working in Europe

borkingchikapa — Wed, 18 May 2005 08:26:50 -0800

How difficult would it be for a nineteen year old with one year of college, moderate work experience, a TEFL certificate and little to no European language ability to get a temporary work visa in the EU? I'm thinking Germany, specifically. I've checked out this thread, but that seems to pertain mostly to becomig a citizen. I'm not looking to become naturalized or anything (though that would be nice), just find a menial job to support myself for six months or less. Note: I'm willing to accept "impossible" as an answer.

Marrying a European

Stylistique — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 13:23:11 -0800

How do I find a European to marry? I am a well educated 35 year old woman. I want to move to Europe and become an EU citizen. The country doesn't matter.

I'm an American in Germany. I lost my passport, and I need to travel to the Netherlands. Will I be able to?

ruddhist — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 10:19:43 -0800

[EU-Filter] I'm an American currently studying in Germany. I'm planning to travel to the Netherlands soon; unfortunately, I had to give out my passport to start the student-visa process. I've managed to lose the copies I made. I'm travelling by train. Will not having a passport be a huge problem? I've heard yes, I've heard no - so I'm turning to the Green for the answer.

What is the "ancestral permanent residence" policy in the EU?

maniactown — Fri, 06 Aug 2004 19:59:43 -0800

I'd like to live in Europe. My wife is a 2nd generation Latvian and I recall reading about an "ancestral permanent residence" policy that affects the EU, of which Latvia is now a member. I know there have been several questions about living abroad, but I can't find this information. Can anybody help? [MI] The policy was something along the lines of: "If your parents or grandparents lived in an EU country, you may qualify for permanent residence status after living and working in that country for x (period of time)." I think the time line was 2 years in your country of origin and then one must be employed in any EU country for 3 of the next 5 years. Does this sound familiar to anyone?