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The introduction of the euro in 1999 did not reduce the imbalances within the EU, as many official bodies promised us at the time, but increased them (Photo: EUobserver)

EU cultural differences - and the next euro crisis

We all make choices every day. What is sensible in this situation, what is reasonable, what is not?

In Denmark buses turn up on time while in Italy it is not unusual for them to be 15 minutes late. Danish passengers get worked up if the bus is five minutes late while Italians are barely perturbed by much longer delays. These differing reactions are due to different notions regarding agreements in general.

In Denmark and other northern European countries, agreements are interpret...

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

Ewoud van Laer is the author of The Desperate Union: What is going wrong in the European Union (2020), and a former banker and Dutch finance ministry official.

The introduction of the euro in 1999 did not reduce the imbalances within the EU, as many official bodies promised us at the time, but increased them (Photo: EUobserver)

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Author Bio

Ewoud van Laer is the author of The Desperate Union: What is going wrong in the European Union (2020), and a former banker and Dutch finance ministry official.

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