Frustrated by the inertia of European Union nations in working to address the continent’s challenges, Germany and France are pushing for a “two-speed” system that will allow Europe’s largest economies to make changes, unencumbered by the need for broader consensus.
In a letter to the finance ministers of the E.U.’s five other biggest economies, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil wrote that “continuing as before is not an option” if Europe is to become more resilient in the face of new geopolitical challenges.
In the letter, obtained by The Washington Post, Klingbeil wrote that he and French Finance Minister Roland Lescure were convening the six-member group for a Wednesday afternoon videoconference to “set an ambitious and concrete agenda to strengthen the sovereignty, resilience and competitiveness of Europe.”
In addition to France and Germany, the ministers of Italy, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands were invited to participate in the meeting, which Klingbeil wrote would serve as a “kickoff meeting” ahead of an in-person gathering on the sidelines of a full Eurogroup meeting next month.
The 27-member E.U. derives much of its strength on the international stage from its size. Its population of around 450 million is roughly one-third larger than that of the United States. But achieving consensus among such a heterogeneous group can be challenging.
Some E.U. leaders, such as Hungary’s Viktor Orban, have been reluctant to take a stand against Russia in the Ukraine war and unwilling to cut off imports of Russian fossil fuels.
Just last week, after E.U. leaders signed the landmark Mercosur trade deal with South American countries a quarter-century in the making, reluctant members of the European Parliament voted to send the deal to the European Court of Justice for legal review — potentially delaying it for months or years.
As a result, Europe’s dominant powers have increasingly relied on smaller groups to take more decisive action — an approach known as “minilateralism” — on energy, defense and other priorities.
In his letter to the finance ministers, Klingbeil listed four major priorities for the six countries to tackle: a savings and investment union to improve financing conditions for businesses; strengthening the euro’s role as an international currency; better cooperation on defense spending; and securing resilient supply chains for critical raw materials.
Particularly as U.S. President Donald Trump’s actions have suggested that the U.S. is no longer as reliable a partner on trade and defense as it had been, Europe has felt an urgency to move on its own to boost military capabilities and revive the continent’s sluggish economies — occasionally running into obstacles from its own member states.
“Now is the time for a two-speed Europe,” Klingbeil — who also serves as vice chancellor and co-leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party — said Tuesday at an event hosted by the Welt media company in Berlin.
“Germany, together with France and other partners, will therefore now take the lead in making Europe stronger and more independent,” Klingbeil said, adding, “As the six biggest economies in Europe, we can now be the driving force.”
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