Open Europe : Daily Press Summary

[Politics.be]

Merkel: I’m very open to constructively discussing British priorities for EU reform;FAZ: UK leaving the EU “would be permanent catastrophe” for Germany At a press conference with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt yesterday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that, when it came to the appointment of the next European Commission President, “We take every member state seriously. That doesn't mean that one can fulfil all wishes, but it means that, elsewhere, one perhaps can think about what is very important for Britain.” Merkel noted that issues like “innovation, cutting red tape, and subsidiarity” were important for the UK, and added, “I’m very open to constructively discussing these things with Britain.”Commenting on speculation that Thorning-Schmidt could replace Herman van Rompuy as European Council President, Merkel said that the next holder of this post could come from a non-euro country, but added, “I have the impression that she really enjoys her job at home.” Meanwhile, the seven centre-left EU heads of state and government will hold a mini-summit in Paris tomorrow to discuss their priorities for the new European Commission.FAZ Economics Editor Holger Steltzner argues that, at next week’s summit of EU leaders, “Merkel should avoid anything that could lead to a rift with the UK, because the EU needs Britain if a united Europe wants to have a strong voice.” He adds that “the future of the EU will not be won by old faces like Juncker or Schulz”, and that the UK leaving the EU “would be permanent catastrophe for Germany. Without London, Berlin would lack a strong partner against Brussels’ mantra of centralisation.”WSJ WSJ 2 Guardian Economist Irish Independent EurActiv European Voice Bild Welt N-TV Reuters France Times Times: Leader FAZ: Steltzner

EurActiv Deutschland cites Open Europe estimates showing that Nigel Farage’s new alliance in the European Parliament could claim around €5.6m of EU funding a year – €3.8m for the group in the European Parliament and €1.8m for the affiliated pan-European political party and foundation, of which UKIP is not a member.
Open Europe blog EurActiv Deutschland

Jérôme Lavrilleux, the former deputy manager of Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2012 presidential campaign, has confirmed to Libération that the centre-right UMP party orchestrated a system of double book-keeping to hide millions of illegal overspending during the campaign. There is no evidence that Sarkozy was aware of any alleged wrongdoing.
Libération Le Figaro

A report by John Vine, the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, argues that the “European citizenship route is becoming an increasingly important way into the UK for those whose origins lie outside the EEA , particularly now that the immigration rules have been tightened.”
Times Mail Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration: Report

France and Italy are pushing for a different “interpretation” of EU budget rules under the Stability and Growth Pact. The two countries have proposed that a number of growth-enhancing investments and the cost of structural reforms be excluded from budget deficit calculations – a proposal German Chancellor Angela Merkel has so far resisted.
FT Le Figaro La Tribune

The BBC reports that Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko is set to unveil a 14-point peace plan promising to decentralise power in Eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has warned of “a new Russian military build-up around the Ukrainian border.”
EurActiv Welt BBC

Hans-Olaf Henkel, recently elected to the European Parliament with Germany’s anti-euro party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), told the New York Times, “It is my ultimate goal to see Lucke give speeches in the Bundestag. Then I will leave politics.”
NYT: Henkel

At a meeting of eurozone finance ministers yesterday, Greece committed itself to completing a number of ‘prior actions’ – conditions attached to the disbursement of the next tranche of its EU-IMF bailout loan – by the end of this month.
Kathimerini


Bron: politics.be