Thread by @Daractenus

With Russian operative and generic "Florida Man" Anna Paulina Luna now effectively calling for the dissolution of the EU, it believe it is worth revisiting just how utterly tragic EU accession has been for some of the most recent member states to join.🧵

Since tragically joining the union in 2004, Poland has barely even managed to quadruple its GDP and start what is routinely referred to as "The Polish Golden Age", likely an achievement completely unrelated to the quarter of a trillion dollars worth of EU funds it received.

Joining in 2007, moment at which it famously topped world charts in efficient governance and standard of living, average wage in Romania went from about a nickel and a smile to about $1200 net, with Bucharest alone now having a bigger GDP than Serbia and Bulgaria combined.

Quite possibly helped somewhat by the freedom of movement the EU brought about, since joining in 2004, the endearingly fairy tale-ish looking Slovenia turned itself into a tourist magnet, on top of EU funds and laws improving virtually every other aspect of life really.

Joining the EU in 2004 despite the loud complaints of its psychopathic Eastern neighbor, Estonia turned itself into whatever Silicon Valley dreams of being when it grows up, with everything related to governance being digitalized thanks to EU digital and innovation programs.

Since its fateful accession in 2007, European funds barely managed to double Bulgaria's highway network and although EU projects improved everything from sanitation access to new schools and kindergartens getting built, Bulgaria hardly even tripled its standard of living really.

On top of ending everything from border disputes to ethnic conflicts, this union much hated by Anna Paulina has changed for the better nearly every aspect of life for the people of this continent, and there's 450 million witnesses to that.

Long live united Europe!