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The continued European unification is one of the most important tasks facing the grand coalition during this legislative period, declared Angela Merkel. Together the CDU/CSU and the SPD aim to shape Germany’s future and to play an active part in shaping Europe’s future. The European Union, she continued, made good progress towards achieving stability and growth in 2013. The combination of solidarity and responsibility was the right way forward.
The introduction of EU-wide banking supervision has been agreed, and the regulations for winding up banks are on track. It must be ensured that tax-payers are not presented with the bill when banks fail. In the EU’s multiannual financial framework for the period until 2020, the sums allocated for research and education have risen significantly. Angela Merkel reminded her audience that the EU Member States agreed back in 2000 to spend 3 per cent of their GDP on research. Germany is now close to achieving this target.
The Chancellor also stressed, however, that in spite of all progress, the crisis has not yet been completely weathered. She cited the high level of national debt in many EU Member States, the lack of competitiveness, and undesirable developments in the financial sector as some of these root causes. To implement the necessary reforms in member countries, the Chancellor once again advocated binding agreements between Member States and the European Commission. These would have to be approved by the national parliaments. In exchange the countries would received material support.
Angela Merkel also endorsed modifying the European treaties in order to remedy the errors and omissions of the last 20 years. This is the only way, she said, to ensure greater competencies for Europe: "Those who want more Europe, also have to be prepared to review the competences… We have a situation in Europe where everyone says, ‘We can do everything to evolve, but the one thing we can’t change are the treaties'. I don’t think we will develop a Europe that functions in this manner."
Looking ahead to the elections to the European Parliament in May 2014, Angela Merkel declared that she would do all she could to help ensure that Europe developed in a positive way. "Europe is our home", she stressed. And, Europe must be strong and fair.
Full speech (in German)
See also WSJ commentary: Merkel's Europe Fix Has Few Takers