What do people think about the EU in/

Horrid that it will continue to dominate the news for so long! Thankfully we are not in the UK at the moment.. I would be very concerned if we were in your position at the moment, it was bad (Big) enough at the time buying here, add to it the unknown aspect of this vote and the result would have been awful. I need to think this one over a little, but as I’ve read many places elsewhere, I tend to agree it will make no difference in the end as many a non-EU person buys here now. Additionally, as has been said, many of the agreements will remain in place as bi-lateral agreements. Perhaps you should think of it along the lines “am I buying here because it’s in the EU or because you like Italy”.   

In the Daily Mail today there is an article that relates to US Tax Officials chasing up US citizens who live in the UK on payment of taxes to the US.  Part of the article relates to Boris Johnson who has British parents but was born in the US and returned to the UK when he was 5.  He has dual nationality.  Apparently when selling his UK house a couple of years ago he had to pay tax (I assume the equivalent of capital gains tax) to the US - reportedly in the region of £100k on the profit he made from this asset, even though he has never worked in the US and lived back in the UK since 5 years old.Personally I can see that if we come out of the EU then UK citizens who own/live abroad and have probably got residency but maintain a UK house - that those government tax departments will come after them for every penny they can get.

THere could be huge differences if Gove, Smith and the other gollums of government succeed in persauding the British public to vote out.  The first, which would be the first thing that the UK govt would introduce would create problems for anyone with Italian residency - as the law of reciprocity in Italy is applied.  It is likely that lots of Brits could become 'unwelcome'  under a new sysem with limits on what they are allowed to buy and or do.   No benefits for 7 years in UK - then none in ITaly - and if this means health care and schooling, then so be it.   It will undoubtedly mean more taxes, and possibly the idea of bringin a van down loaded with stuff for your new house, will also not be possible.   It is  aplan hatched by xenophobes who are thnking only of their reelection.   

appears to me, at the bottom, right, that a person who does not produce income and therefore only pays fees for the services it gets, as a homeowner, have to pay their own costs for health care - While on the other hand, does not seem fair that the person generating an income on which to pay taxes in the host country as a worker, must wait seven years or more, to receive health care - Yes, I understand that Italy, which - give - the health care and also the board, and even room and board (bad really!), every illegal immigrant, should look to the sons of Albion, ruled by crazy spenders - but also the exact opposite, is a bit exaggerated. Ugo - as Italian 

Please see my separate post on this, expats living in Europe are very much affected by this Referendum and many of us are disenfranchised as we have lived out of the UK for more than 15 years so do not have a right to vote in it. Watch this space and the news in the next few days as I am involved in plans for a judicial review of the UK government of the failure to allow us to participate...

There will be a substantial turnout and the vote will be conclusive to remain in the EU.

I do hope you are right Chris.

The vast majority of the British people are sensible, and above all, pragmatic.  For sure, there's some complaint and some disquiet over the EU and way it conducts our business, but that's not confined to the shores of the UK, on the contrary it is EU wide.  Like all unions the EU needs to improve, and its people,        (if they take their opportunities to vote wherever possible in EU elections) will ensure that that change continues albeit at a snails pace.  But there is so much that this common market which has become a single market has achieved.  Insofar as our loss of sovereignty is concerned, all EU member states have pooled a degree of their sovereignty.  I know the French, Germans, Poles all have issues with this but they all know its the least worst of all of the alternatives available.  Sovereignty itself is such a variable concept to so many people - when was our sovereignty diminished - when we agreed to the free movement of people across the EU or when we accepted the opportunity to sell our goods and services across the EU without restriction? We can't have it both ways, especially when from time to time we disagree with the decisions of the Court of Justice of the EU.  One thing is for sure, our vote is likely to trigger a greater desire for reform among EU member states - there are plenty watching and waiting to see how our reform deal plays out for us. In the meantime I think sensible pragmatism will win out and thats why we'll vote to remain and by a bigger majority than most commentators currently expect.  

If you look at the voting record of the British public over the last few years, sensible and pragmatic are not words which come to mind.  Selfish and short termist are.  On that basis the out camp has a good chance of winning. 

I thought when Cameron & Co promised to have a vote on staying or going, bring it on as the (right wing) press there would have it very wrong and there would be a resounding "stay" vote. The longer it has gone on the less I believe that now. Apart from the mess they have made of it so far, other ills have brought out the extreme views all over Europe and conspired to make matters all the worse. The 23rd of June may just be too far away, but I live in hope.