EU countries sypathetic to Russia

[Ernie]

Why are Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria still part of EU and continue to show favors to Russia? Can't they just leave the EU?

[Ken]

Why are Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria still part of EU and continue to show favors to Russia? Can't they just leave the EU?

They could leave but they get HUGE subsidies and benefits from the EU. And unlike the case of the UK and Brexit, leaving the EU would be HUGELY unpopular in each of those countries and would probably be a political death sentence for any politicians who tried to make it happen. Hungarians, Bulgarians, etc. love the ability to hop on a train and go to Berlin or Paris to work rather than staying home.

A quick google search tells me that there are more Bulgarians working abroad in the EU than home in Bulgaria. That is your answer right there. Leaving the EU would mean they would all have to go home (or a great majority of them who don't qualify for special visas) and that would collapse the Bulgarian economy and be enormously unpopular. Similar situation in Hungary and Slovakia.

That is a completely separate question from right-wing politicians in those countries playing footsies with Russia for whatever ideological reason.

[Szdfan]

Why are Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria still part of EU and continue to show favors to Russia? Can't they just leave the EU?

I don’t understand why these countries should leave. Countries in the EU are allowed to disagree with each other.

1) Leaving the EU is a multi-year process (i.e. Brexit) that includes a vote by the population on whether to go.
2) Being part of the EU has greater economic benefit than political disagreement about Russia. Brexit has been chaotic and has hurt the British economy.
3) I think that there would greater conflict between these countries and a military alliance like NATO over Russia rather than an economic alliance like the EU.

[Ernie]

I don’t understand why these countries should leave.

I wasn't implying that they should. Just wondering why they stay part of the EU if they like Russia.

[Ernie]

Ken and szdfan, your replies help answer my question. Thanks.

[Ernie]

With that info, I did a bit of googling also. Interesting that 13% of Bulgarians are working in other European countries and 20% of Romanians. That is an incredible percentage of a countries' population!

https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/e ... r-mobility

[Szdfan]

I don’t understand why these countries should leave.

I wasn't implying that they should. Just wondering why they stay part of the EU if they like Russia.

Allies can be in conflict with each other. Hungary’s embrace in authoritarianism is in direct conflict with the EU’s ethos of democracy. However, countries generally act in their self-interest and the benefits of EU membership outweigh other ideological considerations.

[Ken]

I don’t understand why these countries should leave.

I wasn't implying that they should. Just wondering why they stay part of the EU if they like Russia.

Allies can be in conflict with each other. Hungary’s embrace in authoritarianism is in direct conflict with the EU’s ethos of democracy. However, countries generally act in their self-interest and the benefits of EU membership outweigh other ideological considerations.

Especially for small countries like Hungary that don't have broad diverse economies. Hungary is 35,912 square miles so about the same size as Indiana. And it has a population of 9.71 million which is about the same as New Jersey or Michigan. It would have a very hard time going it alone in the world without economic alliance and free trade agreements.

Germany, on the other hand, with a population of 83 million would probably have an easier go of it and would have the economic clout to get its own way, even without the EU.

[Ernie]

I don’t understand why these countries should leave.

I wasn't implying that they should. Just wondering why they stay part of the EU if they like Russia.

Allies can be in conflict with each other. Hungary’s embrace in authoritarianism is in direct conflict with the EU’s ethos of democracy. However, countries generally act in their self-interest and the benefits of EU membership outweigh other ideological considerations.

I guess I'm wondering why they don't join Belarus in being an ally of Russia. Wouldn't Russia give them benefits just like the EU does?

[Szdfan]

I wasn't implying that they should. Just wondering why they stay part of the EU if they like Russia.

Allies can be in conflict with each other. Hungary’s embrace in authoritarianism is in direct conflict with the EU’s ethos of democracy. However, countries generally act in their self-interest and the benefits of EU membership outweigh other ideological considerations.

I guess I'm wondering why they don't join Belarus in being an ally of Russia. Wouldn't Russia give them benefits just like the EU does?

The EU is a lot wealthier than Russia and there is significant more economic benefit.

Also, Russia dominates Belarus politically in ways that make a lot of other countries nervous. Partnering with Russia means being dominated by Russia. These countries remember what it was like to be occupied by the USSR. So while these countries may support Russia, they may also not want to be dominated by them and maintain their independence.

These dynamics and relationships are complicated.