You mean there are Eastern European countries that are worse off because they became an EU member? Or because they didn’t?

I understand and share a lot of criticism of the EU, a lot of it is well deserved. Still would have expected it to have been a net positive for all member countries. Which ones are you thinking of, specifically?

Fascinating, I would have considered Slovakia one of the most successful examples of the benefits of joining the EU. But clearly I only have an outside view.

Let me assure you that there are many Czechs that rather envy Slovakia for what has been achieved. Some dark things in the past, yes, but look where it is now. Can any of this be attributed to EU? We won't know until we find alternative universe where SK is not an EU member.

Again, we can't know whether we would not be better off having EUR. Also it sounds like sovereignty is automatically a positive thing. Why then each state in the US does not seek for it? Can it be that even if it is positive, there are other things that outweigh it by large?