Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz received the President of the European Council, António Costa, in the Federal Chancellery. At the joint press conference, the Federal Chancellor emphasised: “As Europeans, we are currently facing huge challenges – perhaps the biggest since the beginning of our European project.” Merz went on to say that these challenges can only be overcome if Europe stands together and speaks with one voice. 

During the press conference, the Federal Chancellor also commented on the current events in Poland. The violation of Polish airspace by armed Russian drones was, he said, “completely unacceptable”. Federal Chancellor Merz emphasised: “The Federal Government condemns this aggressive behaviour by Russia in the strongest possible terms.” 

The key points from the statement in brief:

• Greater commitment to the defence of Europe: Federal Chancellor Merz made it clear that this is one of the central tasks for all EU member states at both a national and European level for the coming years and decades. The member states will strengthen the European pillar of NATO and further increase defence spending. The Federal Chancellor said that simplification, standardisation and production quantities were crucial to make Europe’s defence industry more efficient.
• Innovative and resilient European economy: According to the Federal Chancellor, this is an indispensable prerequisite for a strong Europe both internally and externally. To achieve this, he said, bureaucracy needs to be reduced and progress has to be made with the Capital Markets Union. The Federal Chancellor also emphasised the need for a sustainable multi-year financial framework that sets a clear focus on financing future tasks and is financially viable.