Friedrich Merz sees a “dynamic” of concentration of power in Brussels - and criticizes the German government's European policy.
A sharp reply comes from the SPD parliamentary group by return of post.
Berlin - The CDU politician Friedrich Merz calls for a reorientation of the European policy of his party.
In an interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”, Merz accused the Union-led federal government of a number of errors, including the decision on corona aid from the EU and the central procurement of corona vaccine by Brussels.
"In retrospect, it was a mistake to leave the purchase of corona vaccines in full to the EU Commission," he said.
Merz sees the Corona aid fund as a step towards a "debt union".
“This fund opens up the prospect that the EU will also take on its own debts in normal times,” he warned.
"I see this as a real danger."
In general, Merz sees “a dynamic in Brussels to draw more and more power to the EU”.
Most member states did not want "a centralized Europe," he said.
That is why the judgment of the Federal Constitutional Court, with which it objected to bond purchases by the European Central Bank and thus defied the European Court of Justice, is correct.
The EU Commission has therefore initiated proceedings against Germany for violating EU law.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) was "obviously urged by the hardliners in the Commission", said the former Union parliamentary group leader.
At the same time, Merz criticized the failure of the last few years to include the “refusal” to do more with the “pro-European” French President Emmanuel Macron.
He also called for the courage to reach greater agreement where this was necessary.
"We have to talk about the possibility of strengthening the EU's foreign policy through majority decisions."
Merz sees another mistake by Germany in building the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline without a European consensus.
The pipeline is intended to transport natural gas from Russia past the Ukraine directly to Germany.
The question now divides the EU, said Merz.
He never saw it as just an economic project: "In the energy industry, everything is also political."
There were immediate objections from the SPD parliamentary group.
After tax and climate policy, European policy is now the next area where the Union lacks clear and credible orientation, said group vice-president Achim Post.
“With his statements, Friedrich Merz questions the basic European policy decisions of the last few years.
That is no small matter if you consider its formative role in the CDU election campaign. "
For example, as an export-oriented country, Germany in particular has a fundamental interest in seeing Europe get back to business as quickly as possible with the reconstruction fund, according to Post. "If Armin Laschet is serious about his Europe-friendly rhetoric, then he must not simply accept Friedrich Merz's European policy backward course without comment." Dpa
