Most economically liberal country in Europe?

[Huckleberry Finn]

Liberal means an American liberal-concept here! In European concepts that means most socialist.

It's Sweden.

Well, I meant Western Europe including new EU-members. In a scale of whole Europe Belarussia is most socialist, but it's no way liberal in any case!

[Middle-aged Europe]

It's Sweden.

Probably, yes.

[NYGOP]

Sweden

[CO-OWL]

I remember a newspaper article about Göran Persson.
He said that sometimes he thinks taxes in Sweden are NOT high enough to create an ideal welfare state.

So I go with Sweden.

[Brambila]

Sweden, by far.

[Gustaf]

Certainly not by far. We have high taxes on individuals, but other than that we aren't that liberal. Both Germany and France actually have more state intervention in the economy and Sweden's corporate taxes are on level with mainstream Europe. The German welfare state is also generally more generous than the Swedish. So I voted Germany.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Sweden.
Though Northern England is about as left wing as places come on economic issues.

[Jens]

Damm, why do most Americans only known about Sweden. I fell overlooked . By the way I'm not quite sure that I understand the question. Is it the country with most state intervention or the country with the largest alt. most throughout social security system or health care system?
At least I agree with Gustaf, It is not Sweden. Perhaps Germany or Denmark. We do have a lot of state intervention and even the most right wing parties support the welfare state (it is political suicide otherwise)
Summa sumarum I voted for the good old Kingdom (Couldn't bear if we didn't recieve a vote )

[TeePee4Prez]

Germany

[English]

Overall, it's Germany. Sweden has a great welfare state and high taxes, but business regulations etc. are low, hence the successful economy. Germany is massively over regulated and has a stagnant economy.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

You're all confusing "left wing" with "regulation"...

[??????????]

Are you proud to live in this countries that steal so much of your hard earned money.

[Huckleberry Finn]

Are you proud to live in this countries that steal so much of your hard earned money.

Yes and no.

There are both good and bad sides in the "welfare society". You should understand what kind of benefits are things like "free" healhcare and free higher education.

You're probably saving money for your children college costs? You have also told that you have worries concerning your family healthcare insurance. In Finland you probably would pay more taxes, but you could forget things like college or healh insurance  payments.

We should do a little calculation. All Americans can tell here how much they earn and how much they pay taxes/health insurance payments. Then I can tell how much you would pay in Finland.  

However, I tend to favour more free market solutions especially in the our healthcare system. And yes, we have too high taxes and our government uses money too generously. You can't even imagine all those benefits which people here can get!!! I would delete or descrease most of them, but retain the healtcare and the education.

Finland is probably most economically conservative country in the list btw. Even a current centre-left government is decreasing taxes. Of course not that much than consevatives would do.

[English]

Are you proud to live in this countries that steal so much of your hard earned money.

Yes.
I get 35 days paid holiday a year, free health care, paid sick leave and work a 39 hour week. Plus I live in a country with the best comedy and music in the world, lovely country pubs and picturesque villages. Not to mention the best city in the world (London).
The only downers to life in Britain is rain, the class system and yobs.

[??????????]

Are you proud to live in this countries that steal so much of your hard earned money.

Yes.
I get 35 days paid holiday a year, free health care, paid sick leave and work a 39 hour week. Plus I live in a country with the best comedy and music in the world, lovely country pubs and picturesque villages. Not to mention the best city in the world (London).
The only downers to life in Britain is rain, the class system and yobs.

I get 33 days paid holiday a year (two weeks vacation, two weeks Christmas Bonus and five holiday days, whether I work them or not), I get 12 days of paid sick leave a year, full pay. I work a four days a week with a average of 42 hours. My healthcare costs 50 a week for my whole family and I make 35k a year. I think we are comparable. Maybe you make more then me, I imagine you do cause I think I'm the poorest forumite here. And we have warm weather year round to boot..so .

[Huckleberry Finn]

Are you proud to live in this countries that steal so much of your hard earned money.

Yes.
I get 35 days paid holiday a year, free health care, paid sick leave and work a 39 hour week. Plus I live in a country with the best comedy and music in the world, lovely country pubs and picturesque villages. Not to mention the best city in the world (London).
The only downers to life in Britain is rain, the class system and yobs.

I get 33 days paid holiday a year (two weeks vacation, two weeks Christmas Bonus and five holiday days, whether I work them or not), I get 12 days of paid sick leave a year, full pay. I work a four days a week with a average of 42 hours. My healthcare costs 50 a week for my whole family and I make 35k a year. I think we are comparable. Maybe you make more then me, I imagine you do cause I think I'm the poorest forumite here. And we have warm weather year round to boot..so .

33 days paid holiday sounds great.

I will post your Finnish tax percent later. Now I am too tired to seeking it.

[English]

Are you proud to live in this countries that steal so much of your hard earned money.

Yes.
I get 35 days paid holiday a year, free health care, paid sick leave and work a 39 hour week. Plus I live in a country with the best comedy and music in the world, lovely country pubs and picturesque villages. Not to mention the best city in the world (London).
The only downers to life in Britain is rain, the class system and yobs.

I get 33 days paid holiday a year (two weeks vacation, two weeks Christmas Bonus and five holiday days, whether I work them or not), I get 12 days of paid sick leave a year, full pay. I work a four days a week with a average of 42 hours. My healthcare costs 50 a week for my whole family and I make 35k a year. I think we are comparable. Maybe you make more then me, I imagine you do cause I think I'm the poorest forumite here. And we have warm weather year round to boot..so .

Actually, in dollars, I too make about 35k a year. Sounds like we're quite similar. I concede however that the weather in Florida is far superior to Northern England!
A heatwave here is a week in the high 70's Farenheit!
The thing I love most about Britain are the hundreds of cosy picture-postcard villages, with thatched roofs and warm pubs with roaring fires.

[??????????]

Are you proud to live in this countries that steal so much of your hard earned money.

Yes.
I get 35 days paid holiday a year, free health care, paid sick leave and work a 39 hour week. Plus I live in a country with the best comedy and music in the world, lovely country pubs and picturesque villages. Not to mention the best city in the world (London).
The only downers to life in Britain is rain, the class system and yobs.

I get 33 days paid holiday a year (two weeks vacation, two weeks Christmas Bonus and five holiday days, whether I work them or not), I get 12 days of paid sick leave a year, full pay. I work a four days a week with a average of 42 hours. My healthcare costs 50 a week for my whole family and I make 35k a year. I think we are comparable. Maybe you make more then me, I imagine you do cause I think I'm the poorest forumite here. And we have warm weather year round to boot..so .

Actually, in dollars, I too make about 35k a year. Sounds like we're quite similar. I concede however that the weather in Florida is far superior to Northern England!
A heatwave here is a week in the high 70's Farenheit!
The thing I love most about Britain are the hundreds of cosy picture-postcard villages, with thatched roofs and warm pubs with roaring fires.

I like that about England. I wouldn't mind living in England or Ireland.

[Huckleberry Finn]

Are you proud to live in this countries that steal so much of your hard earned money.

Yes.
I get 35 days paid holiday a year, free health care, paid sick leave and work a 39 hour week. Plus I live in a country with the best comedy and music in the world, lovely country pubs and picturesque villages. Not to mention the best city in the world (London).
The only downers to life in Britain is rain, the class system and yobs.

I get 33 days paid holiday a year (two weeks vacation, two weeks Christmas Bonus and five holiday days, whether I work them or not), I get 12 days of paid sick leave a year, full pay. I work a four days a week with a average of 42 hours. My healthcare costs 50 a week for my whole family and I make 35k a year. I think we are comparable. Maybe you make more then me, I imagine you do cause I think I'm the poorest forumite here. And we have warm weather year round to boot..so .

You tax percent in Finland were roughly 30-35. How much it is in America?

[Gustaf]

Are you proud to live in this countries that steal so much of your hard earned money.

Yes, I can be proud of my country without approving of everything it does. I can most certainly be proud of living there...

And taxing isn't exactly stealing. I accept the working of a democracy.

[??????????]

Are you proud to live in this countries that steal so much of your hard earned money.

Yes.
I get 35 days paid holiday a year, free health care, paid sick leave and work a 39 hour week. Plus I live in a country with the best comedy and music in the world, lovely country pubs and picturesque villages. Not to mention the best city in the world (London).
The only downers to life in Britain is rain, the class system and yobs.

I get 33 days paid holiday a year (two weeks vacation, two weeks Christmas Bonus and five holiday days, whether I work them or not), I get 12 days of paid sick leave a year, full pay. I work a four days a week with a average of 42 hours. My healthcare costs 50 a week for my whole family and I make 35k a year. I think we are comparable. Maybe you make more then me, I imagine you do cause I think I'm the poorest forumite here. And we have warm weather year round to boot..so .

You tax percent in Finland were roughly 30-35. How much it is in America?

My tax is 10%.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

I only get 10 days paid vacation and I haven't really taken it ...and I worked close to 50 hours this week, it varies from 40-50.   They offered me real basic insurance but I refused to take it because I didn't think they could afford it.  And I'm in a good bit lower tax bracket than you folks.  I need to get whatever jobs you people have

[??????????]

I only get 10 days paid vacation and I haven't really taken it ...and I worked close to 50 hours this week, it varies from 40-50.   They offered me real basic insurance but I refused to take it because I didn't think they could afford it.  And I'm in a good bit lower tax bracket than you folks.  I need to get whatever jobs you people have

You don't want my job...trust me.

[English]

About 25% of my income is deducted straight from my pay packet in income tax and National Insurance.
After that we pay 17.5% VAT on pretty much everything we buy apart from food.
Things like cigarettes and petrol in the UK incur massive taxes. Something like 85% of the value is tax!!
Still our tax burden is lower than the EU average. Germany has the highest.

[Huckleberry Finn]

Are you proud to live in this countries that steal so much of your hard earned money.

Yes.
I get 35 days paid holiday a year, free health care, paid sick leave and work a 39 hour week. Plus I live in a country with the best comedy and music in the world, lovely country pubs and picturesque villages. Not to mention the best city in the world (London).
The only downers to life in Britain is rain, the class system and yobs.

I get 33 days paid holiday a year (two weeks vacation, two weeks Christmas Bonus and five holiday days, whether I work them or not), I get 12 days of paid sick leave a year, full pay. I work a four days a week with a average of 42 hours. My healthcare costs 50 a week for my whole family and I make 35k a year. I think we are comparable. Maybe you make more then me, I imagine you do cause I think I'm the poorest forumite here. And we have warm weather year round to boot..so .

You tax percent in Finland were roughly 30-35. How much it is in America?

My tax is 10%.

Okey. I surrender. You won.

But I have to check it again. I didn't calculate an exchange rate very accurately. I only counted that 35k dollars is 35K euros. The exchange rate was that about years ago, but has changed since. But I'm pretty sure that in Finland you tax percent wouldn't be lower than 25. We should also notice that costs of living and wages aren't same in Finland and Florida.