Well, and I have two Brits in my neighborhood who say the same about the UK, and that they prefer Germany. Only proves that you can’t base a general rule on such a small sample.

“Unlike Denmark and most other European nations, Germany shared a border with communist nations, and Warzaw Pact troops were just a few kilometers away from us. In case of the cold WAR becoming hot, our country would have been the battlefield.”

I could just add that if there would not be any Second world war, there probably would not be also any cold war (and I would not need to work in DK)…however we should finish otherwise we will finish 1000 years ago:-)
True is, that the 1930s in Germany perfectly shows, how the election in crisis times reflect much more anger of people than their wishes where their country should go…..I doubt they would wish what then happend…….so another reason why Iceland should have election after the situation at least slightly will calm down. There is also a question how many of those people protesting WISH TO CHANGE ICELAND and how many of them is protesting because THEY DO NOT WISH CHANGES (which include that they will loose their comfortable life, jeeps, big houses….everything paid by unreal money)…I just want to say that in such times can very easily win populism.

@Gray
“Oh, yeah, sure. And you, how do you like the competition by, say, Romania or Albania (no neighbors, I know, but still competition)?”

ALL EU and EEA citizens can freely work in the Czech Republic – incl. Rumanians and Bulgarians from their first day of their entry to the EU!!! And they do and we do not mind – the same like we do not mind hardly working Ukrainians (yes – they need working permit – also because this is edicted by the EU-law). The same could Albanians….however they are not interested.
By the way – I could see some places in Denmark where people from ex-DDR excedes numbers of working Poles….and nobody would be ever so brave to call them “competitors on working market or something like that”….you can hear from Danes just “they had diffult past the same like you (Czechs, Poles) did” or similar….how would be difficult to hear such words in Germany.
When I was living in the UK, I met two nice German women living there. They told me that Germany is no longer such nice place to live like it used to – that people changed a lot…so they prefer the UK. I was surprised as I really prefer Denmark than UK…however now I understand them more.

Gray, we have been doing busyness all over the world, including all of Europe
i dont see any reson to think that may change,
i realize that a lot of people dont like Iceland after what has happened but im absolutely sure that we will manage to fix that,
some investors will loose their money but thats just something one can expect in a global finacial crisis, that is an undisputable fact and goes double for banks as we have been seeing time after time lately.

orchafine I agree with you, we have been innocent and controled by greedy pigs, that is one of our biggest problems, for example David Oddson gets 22mil Isk a month for his work in the central bank,
thats more than his college gets in USA, no one knew about that,they keep such info to them selves

for some reason this entire nation has been sleeping and blindly trusting som people, but its safe to say we are awake now and need to make some changes,

its unbelievable how much damage a handfull of idiots can inflict on one nation in such a short time, we will soon owe 4.5 mil Isk per head, because of foreign savings accounts,
thats 13,5 mil per worker, so its safe to say we now need people we can trust to sell the assets of the banks to pay that back, we expect it will take 2-3 years to do that.

Oh, yeah, sure. And you, how do you like the competition by, say, Romania or Albania (no neighbors, I know, but still competition)?

The difference btw. your and Gray reaction convince me that really there is no one Germany….there is lots of “Bundesländer”. Thanks for your reply. And – I do not have anything against cooperation btw. European nations – EEA is also cooperation – but there is more freedom than in EU.

@Gray
We have never be offered to become a part of EEA-we were offered either full EU-membership or nothing – the same like all ten EU-countries entering in 2004.
And regarding your comment that you have to introduce 16 milion “Ossies”…..I think that it would just help them if they would feel the competition from their eastern neighbours. They got reach and comfortable life for free….or at least much more easier than we got it….and they do not appreciate it.
Anyway – I could get a working permit in Germany quite easily – however I am no longer interested to work there at all…..and I guess I am not the only one from those “eastern enemies” who scare you even after 20 years….do not worry – we also did not forget about 2nd world war.

“Your – German – working market is for us closed almost five years from our EU-entry and will be closed for another at least more than two years”
Because of pure necessity. Germany is still struggling to integrate the 16 million Germans from the former communist east. And at the same time, we’re a direct neighbor, so naturally, many Czechs would first look for job opportunities here. Also, pls don’t forget all the jobs that German companies outsourced to the Czech repulic. All in all, you din’t fare so bad, so cut us some slack.

“I do not want to cheer up nationalism….it is only a reaction on sentences like “You would prefer your country to sell goods to Russia, like in the past?” or similar.”
Excuse me pls, but what do you think is nationalist about this sentence? If the Czech Republic would reject participating in the EU economy, it would have to compensate for the loss of business by strengthening ties with other national economies. Of course, Russia would be the next big choice. This is just a rational arguement, nothing nationalist in it.

“if all EU would transform itself just into EEA”
Why should the EU transform? If the Czech government isn’t happy about membership, they could have tried to become only an EEA member. What’s the problem?

“it is not enough good for big countries because it would mean less influence on small countries”
What nonsense! Actually, it’s the other way around: Small countries have a much higher influence than their population numbers should give them. That’s a well known fact. Never heard of it?

“I do not have at all such experience from Germany-where I have been always considered even if just like turist like some threat from east”
Well, twenty years ago, your people, among others in the Warzaw Pact, WERE the threat from the east. Unlike Denmark and most other European nations, Germany shared a border with communist nations, and Warzaw Pact troops were just a few kilometers away from us. In case of the cold war becoming hot, our country would have been the battlefield, with all the horrible consequences. This constant threat left an impact on many Germans, and the memories won’t fade so easy. Sry about that, but this takes time.

I know, there is some (only some) talk among eurosceptics in some countries that in the EU it all comes down to a German-French conspiracy. This, however, is nonsense. I think the German influence within the EU and elsewhere is easily overestimated. The French might be slightly more powerful but I wouldn’t overestimate the French might in the world either.

And I agree with you: The German labourmarket should be completely open to people from the Eastern European memberstates. Still, I think it’s maybe fair to remember that the situation of the German economy after the reunification (which was messed up when it comes to the transformation of the East German economy) and during the last couple of years was rather complicated and difficult, putting it mildly. Also, the German trade unions are rather powerful and exerted a lot of pressure on the German government.

But I can see your point.

And when it comes to German unfriendliness… This is certainly a German problem, but the mood and the ‘climate’ and the habits of the people in Germany also heavily depends on where you actually are in Germany. Bavaria is very different from the Ruhr area which in turn is quite different from East Friesland. ;o)

I know that HACCP and hygiene regulations are the same for both EU and EEA-however now for example you can at least partially stop import of those “polythene-greenhouse” tomatoes from Spain (putting higher customs on them).I know – it is slightly against free market – however agricultural policy of EU is so spoilt by those subsidies (for example Czech farmers are allowed to get just about half of subsidy what get German farmer….as EU said when we entered we have got advantage cheap labor work force….nobody care that salaries are not the only expenses…..and I guess Iceland could be in the same situation when would enter….they would say your low-currency is advantage for you or something similar).

Regarding your comments to “your pigs”. I think that Davíð Oddsson should definitely quit his place (yesterday was too late) and Geir should find enough courage to take Davíð from his place….otherwise he is not a real leader of Iceland. This should be the first step…..then there should be cleaning up of this mess and then another election (not opposite order). Election in crisis times reflect more people’s anger that wishes where their country should go…remember Germany in 1930s.
Anyway – it is just up to you Icelanders where you country will be going….but it will be JUST UP TO YOU until you would enter the EU (and loose your independence). Then you will have to first ask Brussel if you can do something….but as I say…IT IS JUST UP TO YOU ICELANDERS……I just hope your nation will wait with this decision at least until calm down.