French President Emmanuel Macron. AFP FILE PHOTO / POOL / Thomas SAMSON
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday pleaded his case for ambitious European reforms, appealing to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to join forces with him and enter the debate.
Speaking in Frankfurt, where he opened the German city鈥檚 annual book fair alongside Merkel, Macron also stressed the importance of culture in the 鈥渞edefining鈥� of Europe.
鈥淭here is no Europe without culture,鈥� he told the audience, highlighting the crucial role that language, educational exchanges and the arts have to play in combating 鈥渢he languor鈥� gripping the continent.
For her part, Merkel praised the 鈥渃lose friendship and solidarity鈥� between Germany, and France.
鈥淗istory shows that in order to further develop Europe, we need impulses from Germany and France,鈥� she said.
But she stayed vague on how far she backed her French counterpart鈥檚 plans for an overhaul of the European project.
Macron鈥檚 grand vision
In an earlier address to university students in the western German city, Macron reiterated his desire for deeper eurozone integration, including his more contentious calls for a common budget and finance minister.
鈥淚f we are ready for common policies on security, digital infrastructure, energy, migration, the fight against terrorism, then who can explain to me why we can鈥檛 have a common eurozone budget?鈥� Macron said.
He added that he believed European leaders had 鈥渙ne year鈥� to lay out their vision of the bloc鈥檚 future in the run-up to the 2019 European Parliament elections.
鈥淚 think we need to start the debate, we have a year to clarify and draw up a common roadmap,鈥� Macron said.
鈥淭his is what I would like to come and do in Germany on several occasions and what I invite the chancellor to come to France and do as well,鈥� he also said.
Merkel has so far responded cautiously to Macron鈥檚 grand vision for a more closely integrated Europe, which he first outlined in a landmark speech last month at the Sorbonne University in Paris.
The issue of a common eurozone budget is especially controversial in Germany, the biggest EU economy, which fears it will lead to a pooling of national debt with Berlin picking up the tab for poorer member states.
鈥楴o pooling of national debt鈥�
In an interview set to appear in German media on Wednesday, Merkel said again that she needed more time to study his proposals and reiterated Germany鈥檚 stance on the debt issue.
鈥淲ith me, there will be no pooling of national debt,鈥� she told the RND regional media group.
Macron was in Germany to formally inaugurate the October 11-15 Frankfurt Book Fair, where more than 7,000 exhibitors from over 100 countries are expected and France is this year鈥檚 guest of honor.
French literary stars like novelist Michel Houellebecq and Nobel laureate Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio will聽join peers like Margaret Atwood and Dan Brown to add glamour to the event.
The book fair dates back to the Middle Ages, when the Gutenberg printing press was invented in nearby Mainz.
Merkel and Macron symbolically printed out the first page of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on a replica of the Gutenberg press late Tuesday, after touring the French pavilion.
鈥楲earn three, four languages鈥�
The book fair鈥檚 director Juergen Boos said the leaders鈥� joint opening of the literature extravaganza showed their commitment to 鈥渁 strong, unified Europe鈥�.
鈥淐ulture is the right approach to strengthen the European project, it鈥檚 easier than starting with the economy,鈥� Boos told AFP.
Macron told the book fair audience he wanted to encourage Europe鈥檚 young people to speak at least two languages 鈥� 鈥渙r even three or four鈥� 鈥� and see the Erasmus exchange program expanded so that every student could spend 鈥渟ix months in another European country鈥�.
Merkel praised her French counterpart鈥檚 emphasis on the longstanding bonds between their countries, saying European leaders 鈥渉ave to do more鈥� to teach young people about the value of culture and literature.
Merkel鈥檚 non-committal stance on Macron鈥檚 pitch for closer eurozone cooperation comes as the chancellor is heading into thorny coalition talks with two smaller parties after winning a difficult victory in elections last month.
One of the potential partners is the liberal and pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), which views Macron鈥檚 proposals skeptically and opposes any idea of German taxpayers鈥� money flowing to weaker EU economies.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 /kga