In the ancient Capitol building, the German Chancellor and the Italian Prime Minister viewed the original Treaties of Rome. Chancellor Merkel spoke of a moving experience: "Standing here, you can sense just how deep the EU roots go.” Germany’s signature was added to the Treaties by Konrad Adenauer, the German Chancellor at the time. The historical documents are part of an exhibition of European works of art and treasures from a period stretching over three thousand years.
Photo: REGIERUNGonline / Kühler
Friendly reception on Capitoline HillAfter her visit to Capitoline Hill, the Chancellor met for talks with Prime Minister Prodi and President Giorgio Napolitano. Where the talks focused on European policy, the future of the EU Constitution took centre stage. Prodi and Merkel announced their intention to take a common stance within the EU on the Community’s further development.The Union needs more robust institutions
As an initial step, the Berlin Declaration will be adopted at the Informal Meeting of the European Heads of State and Government this coming weekend. The Declaration sets out the common values of and future challenges faced by the European Union.
Merkel explained that a roadmap of how to proceed in the constitutional process will be presented at the Council Summit in June. Prodi, who was President of the EU Commission from 1999 to 2004, said: "We want to go into the European elections in 2009 with more robust institutions.”
The Union today: An international player
Photo: REGIERUNGonline / Kühler
Merkel and Prodi face the pressWith the spectrum ranging from common energy policy to America’s plans to install a missile defence system in Eastern Europe, the other subjects addressed in the talks illustrate the extent to which the EU influences policymaking beyond its borders.Following their talks, Merkel and Prodi made a clear commitment to multilateralism. The Chancellor called for the missile defence issue to be taken up by the NATO-Russia Council and not just in bilateral talks. We need to maintain Russia’s trust in its partners, she explained. Independent action can only hinder the process. "Europe succeeds by pulling together”, said the Chancellor, borrowing from the German EU presidency’s official slogan. She then added: "And only together.”
Together in Afghanistan
The agenda also included the Union’s future strategy on Afghanistan: Italy is to host an international donors’ conference for Afghanistan in April. Later in the day, Merkel met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Berlin. Karzai expressly welcomed the German Bundestag’s decision to send German Tornado surveillance aircraft to Afghanistan.
In response to the situation regarding the German hostages in Iraq, Chancellor Merkel reiterated that Germany would not be blackmailed. The kidnappers have demanded that Germany withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. The Italian government has faced similar demands from kidnappers in the past two weeks: an Italian journalist kidnapped in Afghanistan was reportedly released on Monday afternoon.
Summit and European celebrations in Berlin
This coming weekend, the European Union will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a huge party in Berlin. The German capital will host the Informal Meeting of the 27 EU Heads of State and Government, and also expects tens of thousands of Europeans to join in the festivities. The celebrations will be held at the Brandenburg Gate and in the city’s museums and discotheques.
Summing up Europe’s journey from Rome to Berlin, Romano Prodi made a fitting statement: "Berlin once symbolised the division of Europe. Now it represents European unity.” Whether or not the six founding members of the EU ever expected things to happen on such a grand scale in the space of just fifty years is impossible to say.
