Icelanders will likely reject joining the EU, Germany should start speaking English, according to readers

The following comments reflect the views of DW-WORLD.DE readers. Not all reader comments have been published. DW-WORLD.DE reserves the right to edit for length and appropriateness of content.

Iceland's parliament approves EU membership bid

I am delighted that the parliament of Iceland voted in favor of joining the European Union. No doubt joining the EU would help Iceland out of isolation and will become a source of economic growth and sustainability. The recent financial crisis was quite unfortunate and I am still not able to understand why Iceland was named a 'bad guy', while many other countries contributed towards this economic breakdown. Becoming a member of the EU would provide the best opportunities for Iceland to play a stronger role during the process of globalization. And I would love to see Iceland contributing and fighting poverty, hunger, illiteracy and all sorts of economic and social injustices on our planet. -- Khalid Ahmed Chaudry, The Netherlands

As a resident of Iceland I would like to point out that, although a majority of the populace wants to apply for EU membership, many of those who say so add that they would like to see what’s on offer from the EU. Without considerable concessions from the EU on matters concerning the continued Icelandic sovereign control of our 200 nautical mile fishing zone and on agriculture, 60-70 percent of the populace is going to vote no to a membership agreement. I don’t expect the EU will offer the concessions needed to convince the majority of Icelanders about the merits of joining the EU. Many people in Iceland also know that the Maastricht agreement necessitates that the sovereign debt of a nation adopting the euro be below 60 percent of GNP. So the near bankrupt island state, which has seen its sovereign debt grow from near nothing to above 200 percent of GNP in the months after its economy collapsed, will not be allowed to adopt the euro for years and years to come. My estimate is 20-30 years. As adoption of a stronger (bigger) currency is the present main concern of a big part of the populace, this thorny road towards adoption of the euro might make the populace seek other solutions, such as adopting the Norwegian krone, US dollar, Canadian dollar or some other strong currency within a matter of months rather than years. -- Sigvaldi Ásgeirsson, Iceland

Customers choosing green energy after nuclear reactor shutdown

Nuclear plants should not be switched off for the time being. Alternative energy has to be developed further so that it can cover more energy needs. -- Regina Diehl, Germany

If there were a future for nuclear power, I think that scientists of all the world would not have been studying alternative energy. Developing German solar and wind power is possibly the best for mankind and the ecological future of world. -- Edgardo Berraz, Argentina

German mass swine flu vaccinations start in September

There is no way I or my child will receive this vaccination. The virus was lab-created and the same companies producing the vaccine are probably responsible for the virus. -- Richard Hall, Great Britain

Drastic shortage of teachers feared in Germany

Now Germany is thinking to bring teachers from Czech Republic, Poland and Romania but still has to train them. But I don't think these countries or any EU member country has teachers in excess numbers. One other option is to bring teachers from outside the EU, but then language is a problem. I feel it is time to adopt English as the learning language in schools, then at least the EU can attract many well-qualified teachers from countries like India, UK and the USA. Also the EU would get tax payer qualified immigrants. -- Rajiv Soni, Germany