GERMANY - Germany is rediscovering Europe. After a prolonged, conspicuous absence, Europe has re-emerged in recent weeks at the top of Germany’s political agenda, renewing hopes in some quarters (and fanning fears in others) that the Continent is poised to take a great leap toward closer integration.
“We want a United States of Europe,” thundered Martin Schulz, seemingly out of nowhere, at the annual convention of his Social Democrats (SPD) on Thursday. “Let’s finally find the courage to take Europe forward,” demanded the same man who spent his recent campaign for chancellor downplaying the decades he spent in EU politics.
As recently as last month, Europe was little more than a speck on Germany’s political radar. The question of how to maneuver the EU out of its rut was largely ignored by Germany’s two largest parties during the election campaign. Most German media devoted little attention to the question of Europe’s future. After vociferously ruling out a grand coalition both before and after Merkel’s attempt to build a three-way alliance collapsed, Schulz’s credibility is at stake. Nothing less than the pursuit of a United States of Europe, it seems, would justify such an about-face.
Schulz, who was roundly criticized both inside and outside his party for not emphasizing his European credentials during the campaign, has now moved to the other extreme. If his call for a US of E weren’t enough of a jaw dropper, Schulz added that any country that refused to jump on board by 2025 should be kicked out of the EU altogether.
Despite the newfound enthusiasm for European reform among some senior political leaders, Germans at large have yet to show much appetite for the kind of grand plans outlined by the French. Nearly 55 percent of Germans reject Macron’s ideas, according to a poll published this week by the Körber Stiftung, a German foundation. Germans are particularly allergic to proposals that would require them to pay more into the EU coffers or take on additional financial risk.