ADVERTISEMENT

German Chancellor says she will visit Macron to discuss EU reform

Without naming a date, Merkel said she would visit Paris ahead of an EU summit late next week, to meet Macron "with the goal of advancing common proposals for Europe".

Macron this month welcomed the prospect of Merkel launching her fourth-term coalition government as "good news for Europe" and said both countries would quickly start to jointly "develop new initiatives for advancing the European project".

Merkel said talks would cover topics such as defence and migration policy, where Germany saw the need to better protect the EU's outside borders and fight the causes of mass migration.

"We certainly will not have clarified every last question, but we will be able to say more than we did in December," Merkel said, speaking after half a year of post-election coalition haggling and political paralysis in Berlin.

ADVERTISEMENT

Merkel's designated new finance minister, Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats, would also soon visit France, she said.

Scholz, speaking at the same Berlin press conference, said he would stick to Berlin's cherished fiscal policy of avoiding new public debt, labelled the "black zero" in German politics.

Merkel also said Berlin remained opposed to any mutualisation of debt in Europe, adding that the main goal was, in the aftermath of the eurozone crisis, to push a "sustainable stabilisation" to create growth and jobs.

Macron in a landmark speech last year urged a major reform drive to reinvigorate the EU at a time of rising populist challenges and proposed sweeping reforms including a common eurozone finance minister and budget.

Merkel's new left-right "grand coalition" says in its joint policy paper that it welcomes and generally supports reform proposals made by Macron and the European Commission, but stays vague on some of the details.

ADVERTISEMENT

The coalition blueprint starts with the topic of Europe and includes pledges to strengthen common EU foreign and defence policy as well as to reform the eurozone.

The plan supports the creation of a European Monetary Fund that could lend to countries in economic crisis, but only pledges to study some of Macron's other ideas, including a common eurozone budget and finance minister.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

Recommended articles

'We know Wike is your boss': Edwin Clark fires warning to PDP acting chair

'We know Wike is your boss': Edwin Clark fires warning to PDP acting chair

Cardoso what’s wrong? Nigerians ask questions as naira depreciates further

Cardoso what’s wrong? Nigerians ask questions as naira depreciates further

Hajj Commission thanks 'Christian Uzodinma' for being its pillar of support

Hajj Commission thanks 'Christian Uzodinma' for being its pillar of support

Why our plane made emergency landing at Lagos airport, Air Peace clarifies

Why our plane made emergency landing at Lagos airport, Air Peace clarifies

Over 75% of Katsina children are multidimensionally poor – UNICEF

Over 75% of Katsina children are multidimensionally poor – UNICEF

PDP unveils 200-member campaign council for Ighodalo's guber election in Edo

PDP unveils 200-member campaign council for Ighodalo's guber election in Edo

Tinubu approves resumption of repair work on Third Mainland Bridge

Tinubu approves resumption of repair work on Third Mainland Bridge

Ondo Poll: Ganduje consoles Jimoh Ibrahim after crushing defeat in APC primary

Ondo Poll: Ganduje consoles Jimoh Ibrahim after crushing defeat in APC primary

FG to review recent price hike of DStv, GOtv packages amid public outcry

FG to review recent price hike of DStv, GOtv packages amid public outcry

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT