Germany Urges United European Stance Against U.S.

Date: 16 June 2018 - 20:33

News ID: ۵۳۹۹۵

BERLIN (Dispatches) -- Germany’s new foreign minister said that Europe’s response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s "America First” strategy should be "Europe United.”
In his first major policy speech since taking office, Heiko Maas said the European Union should strive for a "balanced partnership” with the United States.
With Trump putting pressure on traditional allies with his "egoistic” America First policy, Maas argued Europe must recalibrate its relationship with the United States and become an effective counterweight.
Maas said this means working with Washington where possible, filling voids in areas where the U.S. is withdrawing and pushing back where America is seen as crossing red lines.
Only if Europe’s two biggest economies Germany and France were to boost their cooperation to an unprecedented level could they drive the EU to become a strong player as a rising China and resurgent Russia are also jostling for position, he said.
Voicing strong support for French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for far-reaching eurozone reforms, including on the economy, finance and security, Maas said Berlin must be ready to pump funds into the bloc. "Thriftiness is a virtue but stinginess is a danger for what we want to build – that is a united and strong Europe. That’s a good investment worth every cent, not only because we will all benefit in the end,” Maas said.
While noting that Merkel had rightly begun working on eurozone reforms, Maas stressed that "we must go further if we want to have a strong, prosperous Europe without first or second-class citizens.”
"We need a big Europe. A Europe that does not differentiate between small and big countries, between its center and periphery.
Germany, despite running massive trade and budget surpluses in recent years, has been reluctant to loosen its purse-strings to fund greater investments in Europe.
While Macron has championed reform proposals for the European Union such as a common finance and budget minister, Merkel in early June suggested that a "limited” investment budget of a several tens of billions of euros would be enough.
Speaking Wednesday in Berlin, Maas said the EU should also increasingly move toward majority and away from unanimous decision-making, which encourages foreign powers to try to split the bloc.
Maas also called for the EU to strengthen its outreach to former Soviet republics, and said Germany and France can be the driving force in reforming Europe.
Germany and France will hold talks next week before a crucial June 28-29 EU summit to coordinate their positions on reform of the bloc after Britain’s exit next year.
The EU summit is seen as the last chance before European elections in May 2019 to get a few tangible projects on the road and demonstrate to frustrated voters Europe’s ability to deliver on its promises.