a rare Thing, Angela Merkel has cracked the armor. In front of the meps, she left to go to a lyricism that is unusual in it referring to the 9th symphony of Beethoven : “every time when I hear it, I have the impression to rediscover it. Each time, I rediscover something that upsets me deeply. And it’s the same thing with Europe. Europe is there to be rediscovered at every moment. It upsets us. And that is the message of the music : the idea of brotherhood, of the unity which should guide us in the Europe of today. What message can be more beautiful than this one ? The Europe that is capable of the most grand, the most beautiful when we are together, when we are united. “
The chancellor is coming to Brussels, to the european Parliament, for the launch of the German presidency of the EU, which ends in December. A crucial moment in a few days for a summit awaited, the July 17 and 18, who goes to confront the points of view of the european leaders on the european recovery plan and the seven-year EU budget (2021-2027). In this respect, the chancellor has defended the idea of ” cohesion in spite of our differences.” “Nobody will only one of this crisis,” she pleaded in the direction of the country restive, the “frugal” (the netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Sweden), her former allies she has left to team up with Emmanuel Macron. “Muti” has called for a “quick settlement” and “compromise” without defining precisely the contours, but, in his mind, as in that of the French president, the essential part of the recovery plan, namely the $ 500 billion of direct aid, must be preserved.
Read also Merkel, the captain of a Europe in turmoil
The crisis is widening the disparities between the European
The chancellor has expressed his concern vis-à-vis the ” critics of Europe who are waiting to take advantage of the crisis “. “We need the solidarity is amazing,” she hammered, recalling that it is “important” in the consideration ” of reforms have taken place in the member States “. The Commission’s economic forecasts, published yesterday, are worse than those published last spring : the recession of the GDP will be greater in 2020 and the rebound hoped for by 2021 will be less high. France (- 10,5 %), Italy (- 11,25 %) and Spain (- 11 %) would be most affected, and the gap is widening with other States less abused, like Germany (- 6,25 %), Sweden (- 5,3 %), Denmark (- 5,25 %) and the netherlands (- 6,75 %).
Read also Barochez – bet european Merkel
as regards the question of own resources, the first of the Germans wanted to make a clarification : in his mind, he is not to increase the taxes of Europeans. The tax digital for which Germany has long hesitated, Merkel is justified : “If we do not succeed in an international tax, then it must be that the EU is looking for its own solution. “However, she does not ignore that the proceeds of this tax (a few hundreds of millions of euros per year) will not be sufficient to repay the loan, european. Hence his interest in the fight against tax havens that divert a tax revenue of major European…
A mea culpa on the weakness of the German investment
The meps, including those of his political family, the christian democrats of the EPP, have an incentive to adopt a repayment schedule of the loan, which is serious and begins well before 2028. The chancellor was not clearly committed, recognizing only the legitimate question. “A permanent debt may not be the european response to international competition “, she concluded on this point, while acknowledging that Germany had, on his side, not invested enough in recent years and that it would seek to remedy. “The social dimension is just as important as the economic dimension “, she insisted, pointing out its intention to strengthen the guarantee for youth.
Read also recovery Plan of the EU : meps set their terms and conditions
The chancellor has not had the need to go on at length about the climate issues that are at the heart of the mandate of the Commission von der Leyen, notably through the covenant green. She has further insisted on the “sovereignty” through artificial intelligence, quantum physics, or the fight against the misinformation on social networks that destabilizes the european democracy. The foreign and security policy is not absent from his concerns at a time when the dangers outside, from Libya to Syria, via Russia and Israel, to identify the EU. The chancellor has raised the possibility of abandoning the unanimous vote, which froze well, Europe is often in its diplomatic action and safety.
The German presidency will also be taken up at the end of the year by the issue of future relations with the United Kingdom. “It is possible that there was no agreement “, warned Angela Merkel, insisting on the ” need for a clear line, which is not the case “.
also Read there is no silver magic… even in Europe
