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Merkel: «We didn’t create the Mes to not use it»

Using the MES “is an Italian decision”. The Stability Mechanism is “an instrument that can be used by everyone”, but «We have not activated it to remain unused». Angela Merkel says it in an interview that is published today by Southgerman newspaper, of which some advances have been given. On the eve of German EU presidency, which starts on July 1, the chancellor presents the guidelines of a semester, whose initial priorities have been completely distorted by the pandemic and its devastating economic consequences. The response of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was not long in coming, who on the sidelines of the press conference on school said «Sure (the European Unemployment Fund, ed) is a path that we have activated, we will ask to participate in this program. Compared to Mes, nothing has changed compared to Merkel’s opinions ».

Merkel defines “Exceptional” the effort required to counter the crisis unleashed in Europe by the Coronavirus. For this reason it is essential that Germany “not only think of itself, but be ready for a extraordinary act of solidarity»Towards countries such as Italy and Spain, which have been« violently affected in economic, health and, due to the large number of victims, even emotional ». However, the Chancellor admits that Germany’s solidarity action is also dictated by her own interest: «It is in the German interest to have a strong internal market and that the European Union grows together and does not fall apart “. With a phrase dear to her now, Merkel reiterates that “what is good for Europe was and is good for us too”.

In the interview with Süddeutsche, the chancellor warns that “the Fund for the reconstruction however, it will not be able to solve all of Europe’s problems». If EU aid were also able to increase European GDP by one point, “it would be only 1% and there are many other things that must be done by states”. The recipe for success, according to Merkel, is therefore that “we all do good economic policy and increase convergence in the EU”. A reference to the need for governments like Italy to use Italy as an opportunity also to strengthen and make the country system more competitive.

On the controversy fueled by four frugal countries, who would only like aid disbursed in the form of loans and not contributions, the chancellor explains that the different impact of the pandemic on the various states requires new distribution criteria, compared to the traditional ones of the EU budget. For countries with high debt rates, “Credits make less sense than contributions”. Merkel is working to persuade Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark to accept the principle of non-repayable financing.

On the decision of the German Supreme Court, which has declared the partially unconstitutional quantitative easing of the Central Bank Europe, Merkel tells the Bavarian newspaper that “without a doubt, European law has priority over national law», However there is a gray area which is still to be clarified and concerns where European jurisdiction begins.

About the announcement of American President Trump to want withdraw over 9,000 of the 35,000 US troops currently stationed on German soil, Merkel admits that Germany must spend more on defense. But remember that US troops in the Federal Republic “serve not only our defense and that of NATO’s European allies, but also the interests of the United States.” The chancellor is against a European nuclear shield and is still betting on the «Atlantic defense community». However, he adds, “Europe must take on a bigger load than the Cold War.” And “if the United States willingly take leave of the role of world power, we must make a thorough reflection ».

Finally Brexit, on which Merkel remembers that “the United Kingdom will have to live with the consequences of the choice” of Prime Minister Boris Johnson not to have close economic ties with the EU. Using a harder tone than in the past, the chancellor said that “it is necessary to abandon the idea that it is up to us to define what Britain wants, it is Londa who has to decide and we will respond accordingly”. It goes without saying that “if the United Kingdom does not intend to adopt rules on the environment, the labor market or on social standards compatible with European ones, then relations between the two sides will inevitably be more detached”


June 26, 2020 (change June 26, 2020 | 20:18)

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