Europe needs political union: Merkel - Gayo Lues

Angela Merkel said Thursday she would work toward a reinforced political union in Europe “first and foremost,” saying that it cannot wait for all nations to be on the same page economically.

“We need more Europe… a budget union… and we need a political union first and foremost,” Merkel told German public television. “We must, step by step, cede responsibilities to Europe.”

“We must not remain immobile because one country or another does not want to follow yet,” She added

However, the German leader, who has faced criticism for focusing on austerity as a cure to Europe’s financial woes, downplayed prospects of reaching a big solution to Europe’s crisis at the June 28-29 summit in Brussels.

“I don’t think that there is a single summit at which the big design will appear, but what we have been doing for some time and where a working plan will certainly be presented … is that we say we need more Europe,” Merkel said.

“We need not just a currency union; we also need a so-called fiscal union, more common budget policies. And we need above all a political union,” she added. “That means that we must, step by step as things go forward, give up powers to Europe as well.”

Merkel discussed the crisis with US President Barack Obama and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on Wednesday.

British Prime Minister David Cameron also called on Europe Wednesday to come up with an “immediate plan” to resolve the eurozone crisis.

Cameron will meet Merkel for further talks in Germany later Thursday.

Amid concerns over the troubles of Spain’s banking system and Greece’s future in the 17-country eurozone, European Union leaders are under intense pressure from their populations to find a resolution over the crisis at the June 28-29 summit in Brussels.

MSH/JR