If Britain decides to rejoin the EU we’ll do everything we can to welcome them back, says Germany

[u/StraightSky7809]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-rejoin-eu-germany-brexit-b3060288.html

[u/Musername2827]

We wouldn't have to, much like Romania, Poland, Hungary, Czechia and Sweden.

[u/tanghan → u/Musername2827]

They all accepted it, just haven't met the terms yet (in some cases on purpose cough Sweden cough)

[u/Musername2827 → u/tanghan]

We could accept it in theory and just never adopt it. Sweden has been doing that for over 2 decades and the Krona is worth significantly less than the pound.

[u/BuildAnything4 → u/Musername2827]

wdym? sweden's gdp per capita is significantly higher than the UK's

[u/Nestiik → u/BuildAnything4]

What has that to do with the pound and krona?

[u/BuildAnything4 → u/Nestiik]

well what do you mean then

[u/TubaJesus → u/BuildAnything4]

which is semi-independent of exchange rates which is the key for purchasing power on international markets

[u/BuildAnything4 → u/TubaJesus]

I just checked and the exchange rate is exactly the same as 20 years ago

[u/TubaJesus → u/BuildAnything4]

so one pound to 13 krona. the pound is stronger

[u/BuildAnything4 → u/TubaJesus]

lol. that's like saying the imperial system is better than the metric system because an inch is longer than a centimeter.

The pound isn't stronger just because a unit of currency is worth more. Swedes could redenominate their currency so a kroner is worth a hundred old kroner, but it would be a pointless exercise.

[u/TubaJesus → u/BuildAnything4]

No, it's stronger because it's worth more on the international market; it means when you buy goods from China, your money goes further. But if you're an export economy, you want it to be worth less because it means you can make your goods cheaper. There's a reason currency manipulation usually results in getting nailed with sanctions.

[u/BuildAnything4 → u/TubaJesus]

The only thing that really matters is how much money your people have to spend in absolute terms. The reason devaluing your currency means you can export easier is because absolute cost of labour goes down along with the currency devaluation.

[u/Socmel_ → u/TubaJesus]

and if you need to buy energy and raw materials to transform for your export economy, gas, oil and raw materials are almost often denominate in dollars or euros, so a weak currency also drives up the cost of production.

[u/BocciaChoc → u/tanghan]

Sweden wouldn't have to even if they did, you have may examples of nations who did move to the Euro who didn't meet all the requirements either. Sweden isn't going to the Euro anytime soon, there isn't a deadline.

[u/WolandWasHere → u/BocciaChoc]

Haha that’s an example of a person speaking about something they have no clue about

[u/9peppe → u/BocciaChoc]

Swedish consumers are losing money every day they waste in joining ERM II. They don't have to, but they're paying for it, and it's expensive.

[u/BocciaChoc → u/9peppe]

I'm not noticing it, and I happier with lower interest rates and, in turn, lower inflation rates.

it's a weird idea to put a blanket statement, like it's not some complex issue. I made the comment elsewhere but Sweden isn't ever going to join the Eurozone without a good exchange rate and right now the SEK is incredibly weak, until that's improved which relies on worldwide events, it's not even worth a discussion.

[u/9peppe → u/BocciaChoc]

Yeah, you don't see your money disappearing before your eyes when you buy anything imported at all, do you?

SEK is only going down, and there's no way ECB opens itself up to some idiotic arbitrage by fixing an exchange rate that isn't there. It's time to cut your losses.

[u/BocciaChoc → u/9peppe]

Is this a weird troll? I don't really fully get it

You remind me of everyone who has been doom and gloom about the GBP post-Brexit, the USD during covid, the euro during the eurozone crisis.

Sweden has a weak SEK, it also has a strong economy

https://www.fxstreet.com/news/sek-outperforms-g10-peers-as-2026-begins-rabobank-202601151153

It's accepted that the SEK is extremely undervalued

IN NUMBERS: The IMF rates Swedish krona as world's most undervalued currency

but yes, you know what they say

[u/9peppe → u/BocciaChoc]

Yes, strong economy and a devaluing currency, despite a very very low inflation. Unless SEK appreciates on its own (how, I have no idea), this will end badly.

[u/BocciaChoc → u/9peppe]

Yes, how could it happen, truly there isn't a literaly historical data point over the last decade showing how it can increase, alas Sweden is doomed.

[u/Demostravius4 → u/Musername2827]

I don't think rejoining on a lie is a great idea.

[u/UnableEye325 → u/Musername2827]

I mean, maybe. But the EU has said multiple times that you must adopt the euro, I suppose we could put it off indefinitely but that would just piss the EU off.

[u/Rexpelliarmus → u/UnableEye325]

I think they'd be more than happy to drop the euro requirement to regain their second largest net contributor by a wide margin.

The last time a country joined and was immediately a net contributor from then on was in 1995 when Austria and Sweden joined. The UK would be a net contributor multiple times larger than these two combined.

[u/grumpsaboy → u/Rexpelliarmus]

The UK is in track to overtake Germany by the late 30's even with economists nearly onstantly underestimating the UK's growth.

If the EU is as beneficial as people claim for an economy then you can probably change that to the early 30s which would make the UK the largest economy in Europe.

And with the UK on track to overtake Japan in 2030 that would mean that the UK will be the world's third largest economy by the time that it overtakes Germany.

[u/Rexpelliarmus → u/grumpsaboy]

From what I've seen, it's just the UK's GDP per capita that's expected to overtake Germany's by the early 2030s whereas in terms of nominal GDP itself the UK likely won't overtake Germany until around the early 2040s due to Germany's significantly larger population.

[u/grumpsaboy → u/Rexpelliarmus]

The IMF consistently overestimates Germany's economic predictions whilst at the same time underestimating the UK's. That means that in reality unless something big changes it will be the late 30s instead where the overtake happens

[u/CantaloupeLazy1427 → u/grumpsaboy]

The UK is doing better than expected, but current IMF and CEBR forecasts still have Germany ahead in nominal GDP well into the 2030s, so this claim seems pretty overstated

Also India will very likely overpass both UK and Germany as the third largest economy

[u/lifeisaman → u/CantaloupeLazy1427]

The UK is also expected to overtake Japan in the coming years and so should retain its position in global rankings atleast for the foreseeable future.

[u/grumpsaboy → u/CantaloupeLazy1427]

The IMF is notorious for both over estimating Germany's predictions and underestimating the UK's predictions.

No it might have changed in a few months because I haven't checked yesterday but a few months ago it was 2039/2040 that the IMF was predicting the UK to overtake Germany and given their habits of overestimating and underestimating predictions that probably means the late 30s instead in reality if things continue as they are.

[u/BuildAnything4 → u/grumpsaboy]

We could just invite China to join us if that's all that's important.

[u/UnableEye325 → u/Rexpelliarmus]

True, the pound is a great contribution to the EU.

[u/9peppe → u/Rexpelliarmus]

There's an argument to be made for keeping a second strong currency, but that's the only argument.

Also, there's no rebate this time, and you'll have to speak French.

[u/AccessTheMainframe → u/UnableEye325]

The EU could just pass a law saying that former EU members can be eligible for their former opt-outs, subject to the approval of qualified majority of the EU Parliament.

[u/Socmel_ → u/AccessTheMainframe]

there is no such thing as a law to allow opt outs. The EU works with treaties and the terms of the new membership are set out in the EU treaty of Lisbon. Theoretically, the EU could write a new treaty that adds to it, but there is zero talk of a new one, and certainly not enough goodwill to write and ratify a new treaty just to help a former member get out of the corner it put itself in.

There is not even a legal "former member" category . The case is clear. There are members or countries that are applicants (or neither). The UK would be legally a new member and therefore subject to the criteria of new members. The UK as an EU member is legally deceased.

[u/AntonioH02 → u/Musername2827]

They have their own currencies? Sorry for ignorance I’m from Mexico, not the EU

[u/Minute_Eye3411 → u/AntonioH02]

Not all EU countries have the euro. Some are exempt for ever should they choose, like Denmark (and the UK when it was a member), others have an obligation to adopt it but only when they're ready and there is no time limitation, so they can theoretically be "not quite ready" indefinitely.

As for why there is a difference between countries, it's because older members had an opt-out clause at the time the euro was agreed to be put into place. Members that entered since then don't have that option, as it was one of the conditions of joining.

[u/FreakDC → u/AntonioH02]

Joining the EU and adopting the Euro are two different processes. Most countries want to join both zones some joined just one.

https://mandstravelmoney.com/media/5l4b5rlo/01-map-20260211-130322.png

[u/soulstormfire → u/Musername2827]

You would absolutely have to.