Tuesday

19th Mar 2024

EU's big four back 'multi-speed' Europe

  • Merkel and Hollande, as well as Rajoy (l) and Gentiloni (r), want to move ahead with integration (Photo: Elysee/Facebook)

Leaders of the EU's four largest economies threw their weight behind a multi-speed Europe on Monday (6 March) as the European Union prepares for life after Brexit, with rising populism, and an uncertain US strategy over Europe.

The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Spain met in the palace of Versailles to prepare for a 25 March EU summit in Rome, marking the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which gave way for European integration.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

German chancellor Angela Merkel, head of the EU's economic powerhouse, said leaders need to find the courage to forge ahead with integration despite opposition from others. Otherwise they risk the fate of the EU.

"We need to have the courage for some countries to go ahead if not everyone wants to participate. A Europe of different speeds is necessary, otherwise we will probably get stuck," Merkel said at a joint press conference.

"If Europe gets stuck and doesn't develop further, then this work of peace may run into danger faster than one might think," she added.

French president Francois Hollande argued that "unity does not mean uniformity".

He called for new forms of cooperation to allow some member states to push ahead quickly in the area of defense and the eurozone, deepening of economic and monetary union, harmonising social policy and tax policy.

Other EU members could opt out of measures intended to deepen integration, Hollande added.

Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy and Italy's premier Paolo Gentiloni also supported the idea of a multi-speed Europe.

Last week EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker proposed five scenarios the EU could take after the UK leaves the bloc. One of the playbooks would for the first time officially back a multi-speed Europe.

While different groups of member states already work together at various levels of integration – 19 in the eurozone, 23 EU members in the Schengen passport-free travel zone – it has never been an official policy to acknowledge and promote the different speeds of integration.

Juncker's proposals aim to have member states commit to one scenario and then sticking to it.

Reforming the block will be the topic at the 25 March Rome summit, as founding members such as the Netherlands, France and Germany all face crunch elections this year amid the rise of populist, anti-immigration, anti-EU, nationalistic parties.

Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg had supported the idea of a multi-speed Europe.

But some governments, especially in the bloc's eastern flank, fear this could entrench divisions to their disadvantage.

Last week Finland's premier Juha Sipila also said he opposed the idea, arguing that EU countries should move together.

Hollande: EU will be multi-speed or will 'explode'

The French president, who is hosting a meeting with the German, Italian and Spanish leaders, says that EU countries must be able to integrate further on economy, defence or research and calls for a eurozone budget.

Maltese PM hails pope, calls for multispeed EU

Malta's prime minister Joseph Muscat said that Pope Francis has "the skills and vision" to inspire the EU and that some EU countries should integrate more to be able to act.

EPP pushes for multi-speed Europe

The centre-right European party has presented its strategy to preserve the EU's security and values and presents a multi-speed union as a "necessity", given the circumstances.

Opinion

Potential legal avenues to prosecute Navalny's killers

The UN could launch an independent international investigation into Navalny's killing, akin to investigation I conducted on Jamal Khashoggi's assassination, or on Navalny's Novichok poisoning, in my role as special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, writes the secretary-general of Amnesty International.

Latest News

  1. Borrell: 'Israel provoking famine', urges more aid access
  2. Europol: Israel-Gaza galvanising Jihadist recruitment in Europe
  3. EU to agree Israeli-settler blacklist, Borrell says
  4. EU ministers keen to use Russian profits for Ukraine ammo
  5. Call to change EIB defence spending rules hits scepticism
  6. Potential legal avenues to prosecute Navalny's killers
  7. EU summit, Gaza, Ukraine, reforms in focus this WEEK
  8. The present and future dystopia of political micro-targeting ads

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us