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German Chancellor Merz: Europe urgently needs more autonomy! To show its strength
2026-02-02 23:40:16 / BOTA
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for more European autonomy "urgently", urging EU partners to act united and decisively in the face of an increasingly uncertain world.
Speaking at the annual reception of the German Stock Exchange in Eschborn, near Frankfurt, Merz declared that Europe is going through “one of the greatest periods of political uncertainty” and is at a “historic turning point”, in a reality where the great powers, according to him, act more on the basis of force than rules.
“Only if we Europeans act unitedly and decisively can we make a difference in the world and build a sovereign, free, peaceful and economically strong Europe”, said Merz, emphasizing that Germany is ready to play a leading role.
The Chancellor emphasized the strengthening of European defense, increasing the competitiveness of businesses and technological independence. He acknowledged that transatlantic relations have changed, but underlined that “nostalgia for the past is not a solution”.
Merz also focused on the creation of a common European capital market, calling for the removal of barriers that hinder its development. According to him, such a market would help European companies to be financed more easily within the EU and not be forced to go public on American stock exchanges, citing as an example the company BioNTech, which was listed on NASDAQ in 2019.
He recalled that the extraordinary EU summit on February 12 will focus on increasing competitiveness and reducing bureaucracy.
In this context, Merz said that the EU's trade agreement with the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay) could enter into force provisionally even before the European Court's decision, despite objections in the European Parliament. According to him, the agreement will be implemented as soon as it is ratified by the first South American country.
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