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[Owlbread]

Accepting Tunisia's Europeanness would be accepting Imperialism.

[Helgoland]

Syria and Iraq (and Iran) border on Turkey...

But what's so bad about letting more African and Asian countries join? Turkey, Israel, Russia, Tunisia, Iran... All these countries have issues that would make joining the EU impossible right now, but I see no insurmountable obstacles.

[smjjames]

Russia is intent on making it's own version of the EU rather than joining the EU. Though Russia joining the EU would also mean that it would have to play nice with the former soviet sattelites.

[XXSockXX]

Syria and Iraq (and Iran) border on Turkey...

But what's so bad about letting more African and Asian countries join? Turkey, Israel, Russia, Tunisia, Iran... All these countries have issues that would make joining the EU impossible right now, but I see no insurmountable obstacles.

Well, there is no consensus what "Europe" really is or should be. Even geographical definitions are problematic (Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia come to mind). Cultural definitions are even harder, some want Europe to be a (culturally) "Christian Club" with obvious exceptions like Bosnia or Albania. If you take certain democratic standards as cultural criteria, no African or Asian country fits in currently.

[GlyphGryph]

The EU already extends well into Africa and South America, doesn't it? The only rule seems to be that at least part of your country is physically, arguably, located in Europe.

Accepting Tunisia's Europeanness would be accepting Imperialism.

But does accepting Tunisia's (hypothetical) desire to join the EU? Is it Imperialism to create an organization of voluntary members that people *want* to join?

[Helgoland]

If you take certain democratic standards as cultural criteria, no African or Asian country fits in currently.

Those are the obstacles that I meant - but I'm an optimist: I believe progress will be made there, too.

Also,

Accepting Tunisia's Europeanness would be accepting Imperialism.

Care to explain?

[XXSockXX]

The EU already extends well into Africa and South America, doesn't it? The only rule seems to be that at least part of your country is physically, arguably, located in Europe.

Even that is not really a hard rule, as I said there is no real consensus about the rules except for certain economic and political criteria.
The parts of the EU that are located on other continents are not countries of their own, but former colonies turned parts of European countries. Some have exceptions too, Greenland for example is part of Denmark, but not part of the EU.

[10ebbor10]

The EU already extends well into Africa and South America, doesn't it? The only rule seems to be that at least part of your country is physically, arguably, located in Europe.

Nope. Cyprus is entirely Asia.

Europe is what those countries who're in Europe determine it to be.

On a side note, I just realized that Europe, for some reason, has A Council of Europe, an European Council and a Council of the European Union. All three separate entities.

Spoiler: This is Europe (click to show/hide)

[XXSockXX]

Spoiler: This is Europe (click to show/hide)

Hey, that looks surprisingly straightforward by European standards. 

[vagel7]

Now add the unbelievably mess that the Commonwealth is and you're almost back at feudal era level confusion.

[miauw62]

I'm very much in favor of letting Tunisia join, to recreate the Imperium Romanum pave the way for a true world federation. We might need to rename, though - how about "Old World Union"?

It's Mare Nostrum, not Imperium Romanum :V

[Ukrainian Ranger]

I think you guys are too optimistic too think that EU is a basis of the future planetary government or one of the few "mega-countries"...

EU is based on what I call Post-Christianity agnostic liberal ideology.  Can't see any non-minor country with different ideas joining EU.

[10ebbor10]

I guess it depends. If we let Turkey in, then we open the doors for everybody else.

If we don't, then we're probably going to move towards an European superstate.

[Sheb]

So basically, liberal values? Yeah, pretty much. I don't think values are that important though, minor nations will be drawn by the economic clout, major nations will be to frightened to loose their national sovereignty anyway. Of course, we can agree or disagree about what is a major/minor nation. I'd say Ukraine would be a minor one for example.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

By minor, I mean ones that have few millions population. Even Belarus is not minor enough to be integrated without moving from Soviet values to EU ones

And nope, liberal values aren't enough. IMO, Even if North African nations will much more liberal and secular they will be not compatible with expanded EU. To be more precise: you can make them join but it will trigger disintegration processes