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(視点) EUの行方 マクロンが先導するかたちで、それにメルケルが乗るかたちで、ユーロ、EUの改革を進めるという方向が打ち出されている。一言でいえば、政治統合、経済統合を一気に進めるような案である。ユーロ圏全体の財務大臣を設置し、単独の予算を組む、銀行同盟、資本市場同盟を完成させる、そしてドイツとの税制の収れんを図る、というような大胆な構想である。さらにはESMを改組してヨーロッパ通貨基金 (European Monetary Fund) を設立するといったことにも言及されている。 メルケルも強い財政、防衛、外交政策をもったヨーロッパ大陸といった方向に大いに乗り気である。 ＊＊＊ メルケルとマクロン、つまりドイツとフランスでまずは上記に沿った計画案を策定する、という動きが見られるわけであるが、問題は、これらが他のメンバー国からの賛同を得て進められる、という状況と、現在のEUがおかれている状況は極端にかけ離れているという現実である。反EU、反ブリュッセルの立場に立つ政党が全EUを通じて大きな力をもつに至っており、逆にEUのこれまでの指導部が属する政党は大きな後退を余儀なくされている。先般のイタリア選挙はその最新版である。 こうした状況を反映して、ポーランドの首相が次のような発言をしたことが注目されている。「ドイツ・フランスが提唱している中央集権化計画には反対である。そしてそう主張するのはポーランドをはじめとする東欧圏だけではない。 北部ヨーロッパ８カ国も同様の考えをもっており、計１２国が団結してこうしたドイツ・フランスによる集権化に反対するグループを設立する考えがある」という発言である。すなわち、 デンマーク、フィンランド、スウェーデン、オランダ、アイルランド、エストニア、ラトヴィア、リトアニアの８カ国 および ポーランド、ハンガリー、チェコ、スロヴァキアの４カ国 である。 ポーランド首相が述べていることだが、上記の８カ国は、ドイツ・フランス主導の計画に反対する報告書を作成している。 いずれにせよ、この動向はEUにおける重要な争点になるであろう。 Merkel and Macron play up euro zone reform plans Luke Baker PARIS (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron talked up the prospect of agreeing reforms to the euro zone on Friday, saying they were committed to strengthening the single currency bloc and Europe as a whole. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel react during their meeting at Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 19, 2018. REUTERS/Christophe Petit Tesson/Pool Merkel is in Paris for an evening of talks with Macron, after the two agreed at a European Union summit last month to draw up joint plans for the euro area by March. Macron has talked in the past about the need for a standalone budget and a single finance minister for the currency bloc, but he played down any technical discussions on Friday, saying the priority was to agree on the end-goal first. “If you begin by discussing the instruments without knowing what you want to do with them, there’s little chance of success,” he said. “That’s not how we in France have historically drawn up our budgets.” The prospect of France and Germany, the economic and political drivers of Europe, agreeing reforms has risen on expectations Merkel will soon clinch another grand coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). “Germany and France can and should take the lead on many questions (related to Europe) and therefore I understand that France is waiting that we have a new government,” said Merkel. Without agreement between the two, whose nations account for 50 percent of euro zone output, any ambition to upgrade Europe’s economic and monetary union and help the bloc withstand future crises is unlikely to get off the ground. This year is seen as a critical but narrow window, with the European Parliament holding elections and Britain’s exit from the European Union reaching its deadline in 2019. DETAILS TO BE WORKED OUT Yet while Macron and Merkel have met and spoken by phone repeatedly in recent weeks, there is some way to go before a common position on the core issues can be reached. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire held talks with his German counterpart Peter Altmaier in Paris on Thursday, and said afterwards that an agreement may be difficult by March. French President Emmanuel Macron (L) greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel upon her arrival at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 19, 2018. REUTERS/Charles Platiau “We have ... an immediate priority, which is the completion of the banking union, the completion of the capital markets union and tax convergence with Germany,” Le Maire said. “On these three issues, our goal is to reach a final joint position between March and June.” Germany and France often put on a show of political unity when it comes to the euro zone, but the devil is in the detail. Macron, elected in May on an avowedly pro-Europe platform, has set out grand plans, including suggesting at one point that the zone should have its own budget worth hundreds of billions of euros, an idea that does not sit well with Germany. Talk of some sort of budget for the 19-country bloc remains, but its size - if it is ever agreed - is likely to be much smaller and it remains unclear how it would be established. The idea of a single finance minister now appears to be a discussion for the future, and the suggestion that the euro zone’s 500-billion-euro ESM rescue fund be turned into a European Monetary Fund to stabilise member states facing economic shocks still needs to be fleshed out. Merkel, however, remained upbeat. “On a broad basis, there is absolutely no difference that I see,” she said, pointing out that the long-term ambition was a continent with strong finances, defences and foreign policy. “There are areas where France and Germany can take the lead, for example by creating a common corporate tax structure. “When I see what the United States is doing, time is pressing for such a project. We also want a stable euro zone and strong external border protection ... The euro zone must be avantgarde when it comes to competitiveness.” Macron struck a similar note. “We still have to define the details,” Macron said of the reform agenda. “That will be the subject of our discussions today and in the weeks and months to come, to define a path that will take us in that direction.” Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr in Berlin and Matthias Blamont in Paris; Editing by Andrew Roche and Richard Balmforth Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. *** EU REVOLT: Polish PM reveals the TWELVE nations ready to TOPPLE Macron and Merkel's agenda POLAND'S Prime Minister has revealed the 12 countries that are ready to mount a revolt against the establishment EU agenda set by Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, in what could be a fundamental power shift in Brussels. By OLI SMITH PUBLISHED: 13:42, Fri, Mar 9, 2018 | UPDATED: 13:42, Fri, Mar 9, 2018 Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki dropped an EU bombshell during an interview this week, as he suggested that 12 countries could form an alliance to defeat the Franco-German pursuit of a more integrated and centralised Europe. Speaking at the German Marshall Fund Brussels Forum this week, Mr Morawiecki said that Mrs Merkel had lost her dominance in Europe since her dismal domestic election. The revelation came in response to a question on whether the agenda in Brussels will change, given the surge in eurosceptic political parties. Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki dropped an EU bombshell during an interview this week He was pressed on whether he had "different ideas of changing Europe to the Franco-German motor which is more integration, more centralisation, more Europe". Mr Morawiecki fired back against this approach in Brussels, saying: "More Europe is simply a buzzword that is popular in certain countries. "I heard just today that eight countries of the north in Europe – these are not from the Visegrad grouping but the Danes, the Dutch, they now oppose the domination of the Franco-German dimension." The Polish leader's remarks was citing the report issued by the eight northern European countries that cautioned against Mr Macron and Mrs Merkel's ambitious political plans. ＊＊＊ Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden hit out at the Franco-German proposals for deepening eurozone integration. They said the integration plans should focus on areas where member states are already close to a compromise. This comes just as the German 'grand coalition' formed last week, which will prompt Chancellor Angela Merkel to continue talks about reforming the 19-country currency bloc with French President Emmanuel Macron. Mr Morawiecki claimed these eight countries view Brussels with a sceptism similar to the Visegrad group, which includes Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia. |
