04 February 2014

CDU's draft European election manifesto more "eurosceptic"?

The Handelblatt reports that the German conservative CDU (Merkel's ruling party), has put together a draft manifesto ahead of the European elections that states that a repatriation of EU powers must be possible. 

The CDU manifesto apparently calls for an "an effective regulation brake" with decisions needing to be "effective and more transparent". It seems to suggests that the European Commission should be required to scrap an EU law if a majority of national parliaments says it could be handled better at the national or regional level. This evokes ideas of the so-called "yellow card", proposed for example by the Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans last year. Handelsblatt’s says this might signify the CDU reacting to growing euroscepticism in the country. 

It further reports that the CDU's sister party CSU will launch its own distinct election campaign. CSU's top candidate Markus Ferber said: "In our programme there will be things the CDU will hardly agree with, like the possibility for crisis countries to exit from the monetary union. We are not eurosceptic but we are against the over-regulation of every detail by the Commission."

In a similar vein, during a meeting with Foreign Secretary William Hague on Tuesday, CDU deputy leader Julia Klöckner warned against giving more powers to the EU, stressing that "we want a Europe of communities and Länder [regions] and not a Europe above the heads of citizens", reports Focus Online.

Meanwhile the Telegraph reports that during a visit to the UK in late February, German Chancellor Angela Merkel may address both Houses of Parliament. The Chancellor is also said to be meeting the Queen in Buckingham Palace. The newspaper points out that the scale of the events – just short of a full state visit - is in stark contrast to last week’s Anglo-French summit, a low-key event that took place in Oxfordshire.